


Bravery

by hobbithorse19



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel Fic, Castiel Story, Castiel fanfiction, Castiel x YN, F/M, Protective Castiel, Supernatural x Disney
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 17:10:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17084369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hobbithorse19/pseuds/hobbithorse19
Summary: My writing submission for @girl_next_door_writes Disney Birthday Challenge! The prompt I chose was: "Being brave doesn't mean you go looking for trouble" ~The Lion King





	Bravery

_Shots of hot breath flared from her lungs with every collision the sole of her boot pounded towards the ground. The rivers of hot fire coursed throughout her veins, pushing her body past its limit. Formless vapors of burning breath streamed beside her face before disappearing within the chilled air._

“N-no,” her voice mumbled.

 

_The hands reached down towards her, sinister smiles gracing their features as they glowered at her with malicious intent._

“Hey, Y/N,” a voice called to her again, a soft touch now shaking her still figure. The person called her name once more when there was no response and within an instant, Y/N’s shoulders twitch before her head shot right up. Widened eyes, searching her surroundings to expect to still be within her dream, but the antique walls and shelves of books spoke to her she wasn’t in that place anymore. The familiarity of the bunker’s walls eased her distress, so her shoulders descended to a restful relieve. An exasperated sigh strained past her lips, liberation humming into her tense muscles.

“Y/N, are you all right?” the deep voice, laced with velvet and graveled earth, spoke to her again. Y/N’s senses finally caught back with her to the familiarity of whom asked the question. Her mind was still in a slight daze, but she turned her head to glance up at the one who spoke with her. Her heart dropped to the deepest caverns of her stomach when dazzling, blue eyes starred back at her. The figure’s curved brows pinched tighter together, which caused his eyelids to squint slightly. Disheveled, ebony hairs stuck out in every which way, somehow adding to the angel’s attractive features.

“Ye-yeah Cas, I’m fine. Why’s that?” her words muffled when her arms and the rest of her body ached for relief from stagnating in one position for too long.

“You were speaking in your sleep… were you having a bad dream?” Castiel asked with slight curiosity.

“I talk in my sleep?” Y/N’s brows crunched together, reaching her arms up and stretching them as high as she could. She twisted her limbs to give her muscles various directions of relief, which helped eased the ache away.

“Yes, you do,” Castiel’s chest bobbed in when his voice spoke to a lighthearted tone to her sleepy tones response. Though Y/N starred back at Castiel with a sleepy expression, her heart tightened and her stomach turned every which way when her eyes beheld Castiel’s amused appearance. Most of the time, it was a rare occasion to see a smile like that from Castiel, given the circumstances of the type of lives they live and the past he had experienced.

“Well, I certainly never knew… now I’m glad to be enlightened on the matter.”

“What were you dreaming about?” The moment that question was asked, all fluttery sensations Y/N felt inside turned to ash entirely. Her heart recoiled uncomfortably beneath her ribcage at just the sheer thought of that dream. Like a blade slicing a tiny glimpse into the nightmare that plagued her unconscious thoughts for all these years.

“It was nothing, Cas. Just a dream.”

“Are you sure? You’re welcome to tell me anything, Y/N.”

“I know Cas, I do,” the tone of her voice and the saddened song her soul sang hummed lowly within Castiel’s ears. Something was wrong, something Y/N wasn’t telling him. Castiel, amongst his time spent with hunters, have come to realize that they are secretive and protective of their thoughts and feelings.

Neither Castiel nor Y/N paid any attention to the tapping footsteps of the new arrival into the room. His chocolate hair swept back, flaring behind ears before crashing against the nape of his neck like the bottom of a waterfall. The reflection of the laptop screen revealed a faint square before his eyes, images unknown to all but him.

“Hey guys,” the voice from one Winchester broke the rowing tension in the air around them.

“Hey Sam, what’s up?” Y/N asked, hoping to direct remaining attention away from Castiel’s question. Not that she was intentionally being rude to him, but that topic wasn’t up for a full-fledged conversation. Castiel got the hint, a low sigh decompressing his lungs before he turned to the younger Winchester who just entered.

“Whatcha doing on your laptop?”

“I think I found a case.”

“Oh really? Where?” the scrapping of the legs of the antique chair chirped against the floor of the bunker’s library when Sam pulled it back by the headboard. But before Sam could answer Y/N’s question, firm soles plundered against the floor, exposing the arrival of the second Winchester.

“Ello,” Dean’s surprisingly awake voice greeted, earning small nods from Castiel and Y/N. Dean returned the greeting with a brief _cheers_ with his coffee mug.

“So, where is this case you found, Sam?” A soft tap sent a vibration against the firm table when Sam placed his laptop atop it. Sam hovered his fingers above the keys before plastic taps entered everyone’s ears. Sam’s eyes darted left and right to unknown origins on the screen, the lights flickering as he probably flipped between various tabs before finding the one he was searching for.

“I was searching online articles of any recent cases and, get this,” Sam’s brows twitched upwards for the usual words new articles wrote about strange cases never seemed to falter in amusing him.

“Residents in the small town of Swissvale, Pennsylvania covet into their homes with fear as a mysterious murderer plagues the usual, peaceful town. Civilians are found in their homes with hearts ripped out of their chests, a grotesque sight for all.”

“Oh my god, did some teenager write that? In an online article?” Dean mocked the strange poetic speech of the article written like it was from some cheep oldie TV show. The pearls of his teeth peaked between his slightly parted lips when the corners of his mouth pressed upwards against his cheeks. But, at the spoken familiarity of the name, the borders of Y/N’s heart started to shrivel, like a single touch spread the start of a sickness to spread.

“Shit,” Y/N swore inside her head, and unknown to the mortals around her, her quivering heartbeat and nervous vocals struck the keen ears of the angel beside her. Castiel’s eyes instantaneously swerved towards Y/N. That feeling wasn’t the uneasiness of a hunter or the response of simplistic, graphic violence. Castiel found it wise not to ask aloud, feeling as if this was a very unsettling emotion Y/N was emitting from her soul. Castiel’s brows softened, his eyes pleading to Y/N in a silent gesture, but she chose to ignore the concern from the angel.

 “That’s where Bobby found you, right? After he was done with a case there?” Dean asked and Y/N’s small nod of her head confirmed Dean’s question.

 “I didn’t know that,” Castiel included, both excited and intrigued to learn a little fact about Y/N’s childhood origin.

 “Yeah, well, I don’t talk at all about where I came from,” she bluntly replied, hoping to avoid talking about it any further. The three men paused when they heard the tightness resonate in Y/N’s voice. They all didn’t know about Y/N’s past and they certainly never knew where she came from. She just was there at Bobby’s house one day and learned the ways of being a hunter. They concluded she wasn’t highly comfortable about the topic, nor eager to return to her home origin, so Sam thought to pick another case.

“We, uh, could pick another case if you aren’t comfortable with this one,” Sam suggested, but Y/N’s mind pondered on the thought for a moment before finally deciding.

“I… It’s probably not a terrible idea to go back. See if any of my folks are still around…. Say hi and… all that,” Y/N’s pressed lips didn’t fully convince the angel nor the Winchesters of her cause to return. They had a suspicion that there was something in that town that Y/N was trying to avoid.

“We can take it one day at a time, Y/N, alright?” Sam soothed.

“Yeah, there’s no rush in you doing anything. If you want, we can solve the case then get in touch with your folks,” Dean offered the idea, to which Sam and Castiel agreed upon. They didn’t want Y/N to become distracted or feel uncomfortable going back to a place of once familiarity, so they wanted to make it an easy experience as possible for her. The generosity, thoughtfulness and good spirits of those around her willing to spare their time warmed her heart.

“We don’t want you to have a bad time revisiting your family. We have your back no matter what,” Castiel added, his words filling the last gap of warmth to flutter into her heart.

“Thanks guys, I really appreciate it.” Three heads nodded back to her in ‘your welcome’ gestures. Y/N rose to her feet so to prepare her belongings for a very, very long road ahead of her, one she had avoided for 6 years.

 

~~~

 

The long drive to Pennsylvania remained fairly silent except for the voices of the classic rock bands Dean always insisted on blaring against the speakers. Sam, in the shotgun seat, continued his tradition in trying to persuade Dean to turn the music down. This always encouraged Dean to either bump up the music or sing to the lyrics in an ear screeching fashion.

Despite the commotions occurring in the front seat, the silent passengers in the back remained as they were. Castiel’s attention continued to be fixated on every aspect of Y/N’s expressions and figure. The moment he felt the unnerving sensation that zapped from Y/N’s soul, he was determined to keep keen eyes on her. Though Castiel was still new to the ways of human emotions and feelings, how he felt for her never changed over the years.

Castiel knew early on, upon meeting Y/N for the first time, that she was one of those hunters who rarely spoke of their family. Even Dean would reminisce about his hunting days with his dad and Sam would role his eyes to the back of his head, the memory certainly seen from his perspective in a different light.

Their voices bickered back and forth, their voices entering Castiel’s ears but slowly vanishing before he could comprehend their words. Castiel’s eyes kept a watchful sight next to the woman beside him. The thoughts inside Castiel’s mind rolled and twisted the moment Y/N’s emotions changed when they all decided to sign onto this hunt.

Beside him, it appeared there was nothing wrong with Y/N. Her eyes trained on the passing scenery beyond the clear barricades of the glass window. The sunlight flickered against her skin as the motion of the Impala passed the sunrays through the forests beyond. But through unseen eyes, the memory of the past continued on its never ending loop.

 

_The hands inched closer and closer towards her, the air entering her lungs evaporating any moisture from reaching again inside. She closed her eyes with nowhere else left to go. A deep shout echoed from behind the figure reaching for her until the form was pulled back._

_The expression from her father silently pleaded if she was all right, to which she nodded quickly. He smiled warmly; grateful she wasn’t hurt. He stood in front of Y/N, his body blocking her from what chased and pinned her moments ago._

_Y/N, run! Go, now!” her father commanded, for which she didn’t take a second more to think on it before she got up and darted off._

“Hey, Y/N,” Castiel’s voice asked lowly, not eager to worry the Winchesters with his voice. When she didn’t answer, her eyes unyielding from the horizon before her, Castiel thought to take it a step further. Never before had Castiel even thought to make a move on Y/N, never. Castiel’s heart shriveled at the thought of telling her his feelings for fear she would reject them. But Y/N was always kind to Castiel, despite the dark world that surrounded her.

 

_The ice of the evening air kicked her in the lungs with every sharp intake of breath. Hot breath exhaled when she breathed out, using the motions of her breathing to instigate the thrill to run away as far as she could. She didn’t know what that thing was or why it came after her. She didn’t do anything wrong, she was just an innocent little girl who had to have her father come rescue her runaway ass._

_Wait, her father. She couldn’t leave him behind to fight that thing alone, but what would she do. Fear rattled her bones from the mere sight of that thing, but she couldn’t face the idea of leaving her father. Her heels skidded against the hard ground, her body jerking from the sudden halt before she stilled entirely. Her brain sent signals to her limps, begging for her to continue running, but it was the weight of her heart that anchored her where she stood. She closed her eyes, her breath quivering from her body before she opened them again, turning around and running back to the direction she came._

Castiel slowly scooted himself closer, the leather appulstry sighing to his shifted weight. Castiel’s eyes remained on Y/N while he carefully neared her. His eyes darted down to the lonely hand that rested beside Y/N’s body. The nerves under his skin sparked, sending a tickling sensation all throughout his body. Castiel worried whether he would startle Y/N, her mind deep within her own thoughts. But he couldn’t just sit there and do nothing.

 

_Y/N pushed her legs faster. Ever inch of breath burning her lungs the harder she pushed herself to reach her father. Every possible outcome fueled her ambitions in hope to reach him, to be there for him. She rounded the corner from where she was originally, but there was no one there. Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach, and she frantically searched her eyes to every corner of the area… until she saw it._

 

Castiel’s palm rested atop the cushions beside him, his fingers relaxed in their bent state. One by one, his fingertips crawled closer and closer towards Y/N’s silent hand. Castiel’s body unhurriedly dipped forwards. Castiel chanced a quick glance towards the Winchesters in the front, none of them aware of what was going on, so Castiel proceeded. But little to his knowledge, two set of eyes watched him carefully from the front seats of the car. Their conversations were a diversion from their true ulterior motive, quietly waiting to see what would happen.

Castiel’s jaw line shivered the moment his fingertips touched hers. Feather light touches grazed atop her skin, Castiel almost proceeded slowly on purpose so he could take in every texture her natural skin held. Castiel continued until his hand just hovered above the top of hers. The heat from his palm hazed like the faint bearings of the afternoon sun, his eyes quickly glancing back to her before hesitantly continuing. Castiel pressed his hand on top of hers, a sudden spark zapping right through him. The contact was almost jarring to him, but as surprising as it was, it also held warmth. His brows softened, one corner of his lip teetering up against his cheek.

The sudden contact wasn’t the thing that jarred Y/N from her deep thoughts, but the unexpected spark that shot through Castiel also did the same for her. The dark memory she encompassed her mind in was disturbed by a halo of warmth. Warmth that shone on the memories of her past and replaced the cold touch to that of love. The world around her suddenly came back to view, the trees passing her eyes and the sunlight shining against her eyes. Her head shuttered before she silenced to process where that sensation came from.

A blanket of warmth pressed against her hand, so she slowly turned her head to witness Castiel was now sitting a few inches from her. Her eyes instantly met with his and all time silenced around them. Castiel’s eyes suddenly widened, realizing he seemed to have bothered her or the fact he couldn’t read what she was thinking unsettled him. She squinted her eyes, wondering why he was so close to her before she glanced down to see the current source of the warmth.

Y/N parted her lips to speak, but Castiel slipped his hand away, muttering something under his breath before scooting back to his original spot. Dean’s exasperated eye roll weighed to the back of his head to the angel’s sudden retreat. Sam simply pressed his lips together. Y/N’s lips remained parted, uncertainty causing all words to halt in their place. Castile fluttered his eyes to and fro, the peaks of his cheeks blooming a faint shade of pink.

“I-I’m sorry, I did not mean to disturb you,” Castiel whispered, now the music from the cassette player overbearing his words.

“It’s ok, Castiel,” Y/N replied, a delicate smile presented towards him. Castiel’s shoulders released when her gesture reassured him that his action did not trouble her. He nodded his head in appreciation before now minding his own business by staring out the window. Y/N, on the other hand, secretly longed for that touch again. Whatever happened when Castiel’s hand met with hers, it brought ease and comfort to her. Something she hadn’t felt since that dark night, not completely.

So, she decided to return her eyes back to the landscapes beyond, but kept her hand remained where it was. Nonchalantly, she scooted her hand closer towards Castiel. She didn’t know how far she could reach out before her body would be tugged along with it. She stretched her hand until it met the base of her shoulder, for which she could go no further. But her hand clicked into contact with something else.

Y/N didn’t remove her eyes from the road as a pair of fingertips tapped against hers. Rough textures glided against the other, tentative touches before her hand hovered up. His hand turned so his open palm waited for her. The heat intensified the closer her palm came to his, unfamiliar sparks almost drawing them closer. When her palm connected with his, Y/N held back a small, relieved sigh. A sprout of warmth sunk deep within Y/N’s bones, the profound shiver whisked away from Castiel’s touch. Neither of the two passengers in the back met eyes, just the simple interlocked hands connected them together.

The muscles under Y/N’s forearms tightened, bulging up slightly to the now familiar surroundings. One she wished she would never had to see again, but her fear became confirmed when Dean turned his head slightly, indicating he was about to speak.

“Hey Y/N, does this all look familiar to you?” he asked, not to jest or make fun of, but to indicate they had finally arrived. When Y/N’s eyes recognized the familiar town sign, she instantly regretted sitting on this side of the car. How foolish of her to forget the geographic placing of that damn sign. The faded colors on the town sign had been pained new, the colors almost glowing against her eyes to their fresh intensity. The words blared at her “Welcome to the town of Swissvale, Pennsylvania.”

Castiel, on the other hand, marveled at the sight of the beginnings of the town from where Y/N grew up in. He eagerly looked to his left to spot the sign before his slight enthusiasm dropped instantly. The lower half of Y/N’s face was pressed against her palm, concealing her mouth and chin. A thin shimmer glazed above her eyes.

But her hand spoke the truth when her knuckles began to shiver. Small jerks of her hand raddled against Castiel’s own hand, the arrival of Y/N’ past anticipating the outcome of this hunt.

 

~~~

 

The aged sights of Y/N’s hometown passed by her vision as the Impala drove down the street. Beige, brick buildings left and right with patches of cream lined the old town. The rustic nostalgia dropped a rough sensation to the pit of her stomach. Though deep down, past the foreboding nature, childhood innocence walked these same streets. It was a town, in the end, she knew she couldn’t run away from forever.

Dean drove everyone through a strip of houses in a suburban area. Winter was in full swing, so stacks upon stacks of trees raised high around every house. The Impala rumbled with a low hum to the cobblestone ground beneath it. Luckily, this neighborhood didn’t hold too much familiarity to Y/N, but just being in the same scene as this town continued to send her nerves on edge. All she needed to do was stay calm and keep it cool while they were here and all would be fine. It was just a simple werewolf case, chop heads or whatever and they’d be on their way.

The all too familiar yellow ribbon encompassed the entire area of the house, indicating they were at the right spot. Men in their profession uniforms passed in and out from the side doorway, clear evidence bags in hand. Figures on the ground with cameras in their hand flashing a light to document a piece of evidence found. The Impala grumbled when Dean directed beside the risen sidewalk, parking right across from the house.

He turned the key and the Impala went silent for a moments rest. Everyone breathed in slowly before releasing quick exhales of breaths before they all exited the car. The aged doors creaked slightly when they were opened fully before becoming slammed shut. Castiel and Sam rounded the car to stand beside Dean and Y/N, their eyes fixed on the house surrounded by cop cars and evidence workers. But little were they aware, a set of eyes recognized their familiar forms, especially the one of the female beside them. He eyed them carefully as Dean started the conversation.

“Alright, seems like we’re too big of a crowd for this little, ole town. So, Y/N and I will go inside and talk to the cops, see if they can give us the down low on what happened. Sam, Cas, you two ask any of the neighbors and see if they witnessed anything the night of the murder, sound good?” Sam and Y/N were about to agree before Castiel stepped in to speak.

“Uuhh, well, why don’t you and I just go in, Dean? The police can tell us if there has been any patterns lately in the recent attacks.” Three sets of brows pursed together with perplexity to Castiel’s ulterior plan. Three heads turn in sync towards Castiel, who appeared to be pretty content with his idea.

“Uuh, yeah, Cas… that’s what we can do,” Sam clarified, his voice laced with bewilderment.

“But what Dean said, we are too big for this little town, which doesn’t make sense because a group of humans could not possible form to become bigger then a town. It would take thousands of humans to reach its full scale,” Castiel plainly and quite literally stated, earning more confused expressions from everyone else around him. Dean opened his mouth to respond, but nothing was able to come forth, too confused to answer.

He ended up shaking his head, his eyes almost rolling to the back of his head before ushering the angel to follow. Sam and Y/N remained silent as Castiel and Dean walked towards the house. Once they were out of ears reach, Dean turned his head towards Cas, eager to seek answers,

“Dude, what was that?”

“I don’t want Y/N to become involved in this case.”

“And who gives you the right to choose that for her? She is a hunter after all. She’s done this a thousand times.”

“I know Dean, but,” Castiel sighed, the aftermath of Y/N’s hand shaking against his the moment they entered this town crippled his heart.

“Something about this case, this town, bothers Y/N and I don’t know why. Something’s bothering her, but she doesn’t seem to want to tell me.”

“Maybe she’s on her monthly thing or something,” Dean shrugged, clearly not fully aware of Y/N’s strange behavior.

“Dean, this is serious!” Castiel’s voice slowly snapped at him, which caused the Winchester to halt in his steps. He had never heard Cas speak so firmly about something, or someone for that matter. Watching as Dean still not getting the point, an exasperated sigh shook past Castiel’s lips.

“She’s holding back-she’s hiding something, from what, I can’t decide. She was shaking the moment she saw the sign and she was very distressed, her soul was shaking. Something must have happened to her the last time she was here, but she won’t speak of it. And I… I don’t know how I can help her, Dean.” Castiel sagged, the usual “I’m useless and can’t help anyone” demeanor slowly rising up.

Dean hated watching Castiel become like this, shoulders hunched forwards and the loss of courageous light gone from his eyes. He raised his hand up and clapped it against Castiel’s shoulder. Dean’s fingers pressed firmly around the angel’s shoulder, a gesture to seek his attention. Castiel lifted his head, worried eyes staring back at his friend.

“You are doing exactly what you can do, for her Cas, and that’s being there for her, comforting her. We all know she’s a very secretive hunter and doesn’t shed light onto her past openly. We can all hold our own out there, but sometimes when it comes to the real personal stuff, that hits home, hard! But you being there for her is the best thing you can do,” Dean’s words replayed a thousand times in Castiel’s head, registering their meaning carefully.

“You’re right, Dean,” Castiel concluded carefully.

“And the cute hand holding seemed to bring her some comfort.” Dean’s brows bounced up and down to accompany the sly smirk on his face. Castiel’s face, on the other hand, dropped, like the color all faded from his complexion.

“What do you-“

“Don’t act innocent with me, man. I saw all of it back there. And next time, don’t take your hand away. That gives off the wrong idea, all right? Girls take great offense to that type of stuff, read into it the wrong way,” Dean informed Castiel, to which he nodded in understanding.

“Good,” Dean concluded before turning to finally continue his walk towards the house.

“I was worried you two were going to get hot and heavy back there, to which, as the responsible adult, I don’t condone! Don’t even think to do it in the backseat of Baby, ya hear me?”

“Dean, first off, we were-“ Castiel rolled his eyes, not even going to try to persuade his reasons cause with this specific Winchester, it goes right over his head. So, he just continued,

“Secondly, that’s inappropriate and third, you are the last person I’d consider the ‘responsible adult.’ Now I truly understand why Sam is the more responsible one out of the two.” Dean nudged his head back, slight offense contorting his brows.

“What are you talking about, I’m totally responsible,” Dean tried to persuade the angel, but all ears were off from Dean’s words as their figures disappeared through the front door.

 

Sam and Y/N remained outside, their bodies pressed against the side of the Impala. Sam, unlike his brother, sensed there was something off with Y/N. Sam witnessed the change in Y/N’s behavior when they first arrived, so all alarms of concern sounded off inside his head. His back pressed further against the Impala’s door, his eyes nonchalantly passing around the surroundings before him until it landed on Y/N’s figure.

Sam pressed his lips together when he noticed Y/N illustrated a far off, distant expression on her face. Eyes stared blankly towards the house before her. Memories of her childhood raced through her mind, happiness with her family and days of innocence coiled like an instant replay, until the memory of that night invaded her thoughts like a drop of black ink entering the confines of clear water.

 

_Her heart instantly dropped to her stomach, the silent figure before her unmoving on the ground. Every inch of her body weighed on her heavily, slowly dragging herself towards the ground. Shaking hands outstretched towards her, her father’s body unmoving before her._

_Flashes of hot kicked her insides while she slammed her knees against the ground. Uncertainty and grief took hold of her, her head teetering left and right to the unbelievably of her situation. Her hands landed on his body, the already stark contrast between body temperatures jarring. She shook his body but he didn’t wake. She tried again, fire burning beneath her eyes, her vision starting to blur. Choking breaths struggled to pass her lips the quicker her emotions overwhelmed her._

Sam realized she remained uneasily silent, his face scrunching together faintly with concern.

 

_Y/N dipped her body forwards when she could no longer hold back her tears. Streams upon streams flowed from her eyes, gently gliding down her cheeks like glittering jewels. Her mind clouded from the grief and regret of her decisions. She never realized the soft steps approaching her from behind, inching their way towards her. The shadow caught her eye, her mind buzzing with sudden alarm as she turned around to face the newcomer._

“Hey, Y/N,” Sam’s hand touched her shoulder, jarring her from her deep enclosure down memory lane. Y/N shook her head, clearing her thoughts for a moment before facing Sam. Worried eyes glanced down at her.

“You all right?”

“Yeah, just…” Y/N returned her head back to the distant commotion of the scene, “walking down… memory lane.”

“Must be weird, being back here, huh? How long has it been since you were last here?”

“Good question… I can’t really recall clearly.”

“Too long, if I was to speak my opinion,” a sudden voice included in their conversation. Sam straightened his posture to the arrival of a newcomer, his eyes scanning the individual carefully. Y/N’s figure froze upon contact, not even needing to turn her head to know whom it was. The figure starred at Y/N, patiently waiting for her to meet his eyes. Y/N swallowed nervously, her insides shaking on edge before she faced who arrived. The only set of words reaching her head the moment those familiar eyes met with hers was,

“ _Run away, Y/N. Run, run away and never return_.”

“Uncle?” Sam’s face dropped, processing the word Y/N just spoke.

“Uncle,” Sam’s breath spoke softly, his eyes darting from Y/N to her uncle. His expression softened upon seeing his niece, after so long.

“It’s been a long time, Y/N. How have you been?” he asked, opening his arms up, stepping forwards and wrapping her in a huge hug. The contact startled Y/N for a moment, but the warmth and welcome from him eased her instantly and she returned the gesture. Once they parted, a long sigh breathed from his open lips, each corner almost lifting towards the sky to the sight of her.

“Wow, have you grown since I last saw you! It feels like it’s been ages!”

“Yeah, long time,” Y/N muttered under her breath. Her uncle stared wearily towards the extra tall man beside Y/N.

“And… you are?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. My name is Sam! It’s a pleasure to meet you!” Sam extended his hand in greeting, for which, Y/N’s uncle accepted eagerly.

“Nice to met you, Sam! A friend of Y/Ns?” he asked, eager to know about this new friend.

“Uh, yeah, we’ve known each other for the past couple of years.”

“What are you two doing here at the scene of a crime?” her uncle wondered, sparing a quick glance at the cop cars and individuals around the tapped house.

“Yeah, uh, my friends in there are FBI agents and they are researching a string of murders. They are just checking to see if anything is connected, just to make sure.” Her uncle appeared perplexed with Y/N’s answer, his mouth opening to speak, but decided against it by closing it shut.

“And… you’re an FBI agent too?” he asked Y/N. Internally, Y/N pressed her lips together, attempting to come up with another excuse as to why she was here, but luckily, Sam came to her immediate rescue.

“She’s an intern for our summer program,” her uncle’s attention turned to Sam, curious to hear more.

“And, you’re interested in becoming an agent, Y/N?”

“We-well, I thought it’d never hurt to explore all fields, even if it meant getting your feet wet, just a little bit.”

“But don’t worry, sir. We keep her away from all the graphic entitles of the job. We make it very, intern friendly,” he convinced, but the silence from her uncle rang a tense bell inside Y/N and Sam’s body. They didn’t speak nor move for they didn’t know what her uncle might be thinking, but he merely just smiled and released bubbles of laughter.

“That’s brilliant! I’m so thrilled to hear! We truly need to catch up!” Internally, the waves of intense pressure released and a wash of relief sighed against Sam and Y/N.

“If it’s not too forward to ask, we should meet up for some coffee, if it won’t interfere with your internship. And of course, if you want to. The whole family has been so worried about you since you disappeared. We didn’t know what to think when you didn’t come back.” The tips of Sam’s brows pinched closer together for a fraction of the second when her uncle’s words spoke through the air.

Y/N, on the other hand, bowed her chin slightly, the shame encompassing her thoughts. A blush of embarrassment tinged against the inner layer if her skin, hoping neither her uncle nor Sam noticed. Her uncle, obviously aware of her reaction, pressed his lips together, pondering an appropriate response.

“It would be nice to catch up, for old time’s sake. We used to be very close when you were a kid. I’d like to hope we can still be now,” Y/N slowly lifted up her head, her eyes connecting instantly with her uncles. He extended his hand and gingerly placed it atop her shoulder. The simple gesture shot sparks of warmth from his touch. She smiles softly towards him, a silent nod of his head being his initial response.

“Well, I should probably leave it to ya then… I hope to see you soon, Y/N,” her uncle longed before sliding his hand away from her shoulder. He exchanged silent nods with Sam before turning and walking along the opposite side of the sidewalk. Y/N’s eyes stayed fixed on her uncle for as long as his figure remained in her line of sight before disappearing into the far distance of the neighborhood.

Sam exhaled gingerly, the reaction twitching the corners of his mouth up. Sam turned his attention to Y/N, hoping to discuss the pleasant meeting of one of her family members, when the familiar sways of Dean and Castiel caught the attention from the corner of his eye. He pressed his lips together before turning his attention to the two familiar companions.

Dean approached with a thinly pressed lip smile and for Castiel, his attention caught that of Y/Ns. The aura around her when they entered this town emitted uneasiness, but now, an off-putting sensation took its place.

“So, what did you find out inside?”

“Well, there were signs of a break in, indications of a struggle with the body found inside the living room. Deep cuts all across their face with their heart missing.”

“Definitely sounds like a werewolf. Did the cops have anything else to say about the case? Any other incidences or witnesses?”

“They said neighbors heard crashing sounds coming from this house. They went over to check things out, but by the time they arrived, no one else was there. None of them saw anything.”

“Uh, ok. Are there any leads?” Y/N stepped in, secretly wishing to avoid the piercing gaze of the angel, who remained eager to piece together what might be wrong with her.

“The cops don’t see much of a pattern, except, the perp is targeting this neighborhood, but all the people have no connections to each other.”

“That’s not helpful,” Y/N muttered below her breath, Dean pressing his lips together in accordance to Y/N’s response.

“So, what now?” the deep voice of the angel beside Dean asked him, turning his head to simultaneously meet the green eyes of the Winchester.

“Well, we can either go to the morgue and confirm the bodies,” Dean suggested

“Or stop by the police station to check up local records. Maybe there was something the police missed that links the victims together?” Sam implied, everyone shrugging their shoulders at this point. They have run into cases like this before where there was no connection to the victims, so they have gone off worse before.

“We should definitely be back here tonight, just in case the werewolves decide to attack again,” Y/N recommended, everyone around her agreeing to those terms.

“Anything happen while we were inside?” Castiel asked, further secretly asking a question to understand the restlessness of the female hunter he cared so much for. Before Sam could answer, Y/N stepped in gracefully, replying,

“Nope, just people watching. You were the one who left us outside, Dean,” Y/N insinuated, pointing her eyes directly at him. The pressure between Dean’s eyebrows tightened upon Y/N’s accusation of the decision when it clearly was the decision from the angel right beside him. Sam surprisingly kept his lips shut, not bringing to light the truths of what really happened. And in theory, she wasn’t completely lying, just not diverging the entire truth. Castiel, on the other hand, had an idea in mind that would either help him understand Y/N’s anguished nature or hurl him far away from Y/N’s good graces.

 

~~~

 

At the precise moment the hunters returned to the same neighborhood that night,  the sudden crash of thin glass clashed against the exterior of the car. Everyone’s bodies froze instantly, all physical and emotional senses on instant freeze. No one thought a second more before they pushed their hands against the door handles, pushing the car door so wide they bounced off from their stationed hold on the car. With their weapons in hand, they all darted their eyes left and right, unsure to which house the crashing emitted from.

A shrieked cry answered for them, the sounds scratching against the late evening air, vibrating an extra ring in everyone’s ears. Thundering heavy soles collided against the asphalt ground towards the direction of a small, brick house half a block away from where they were parked. Dean and Sam made to unlock the door, but Castiel raised his hand up, flat palm facing the front of the front door. Sharp clicks tapped faintly against Castiel’s side, his metal angel blade ringing the tiny sound in the air. This annoying tapping, however, caught the nerve of the green-eyed Winchester.

“You a little nervous there, Cas?” Dean asked, the sudden question sparking the attention of Sam and Y/N, perplexing hovering above their heads.

“I don’t get nervous, Dean. It’s just… something about this case doesn’t feel right.”

“Does that mean you have a gut feeling?” Y/N asked the angel. Castiel glanced at Y/N, an expression exuding that of absurdity to what she asked.

“I did not know that was humanly possible,” Castiel, once again, remaining to be the one to take words to a literal meaning. For which, Y/N didn’t completely mind. That part of Castiel she found, charming. In a sense, it was nice not to talk to someone who had intellectual intentions to their words.

Milliseconds passed before the door moaned, inner etchings of wood bowing before the door pushed right off. Wood splintered from where the hinges held the door in place. Dean, Sam and Y/N presented Castiel with thin pressed lips, expressing to the angel that wasn’t a completely necessary action. Castiel ignored their expressions and breezed right in. Their feet pounded against the carpeted stairs, the fabric muffling the vibrations of their heavy boots.

Castiel chose to scout the lower level while the three hunters made their way up the stairs to check the top floor. Once they all reached the top of the stairs, their steps quieted. Tentative taps of their feet pressed gently against the wooden panels and ears on high alert, hoping the werewolf was still inside so they could end this parade of murders once and for all.

The pale outline of an almost closed door caught Dean’s attention, silently motioning with his index finger to follow him. Everyone halted when a shadow passed right in front of the door, Dean pressing his finger to his lips for everyone to remain silent. The vibration of voices hummed against the walls of the room they inhabited, ears intensive to the words spoken.

“Man, why do we have to do all this extra work? It’d be easier if we could just take their souls or something,” one voice wined from the other side of the doorway. The three hunters and angel squinted their eyes in perplexing to whom it was inside. That certainly didn’t sound like werewolves to them, too whiny.

“You idiot, _he_ told us to do this. He’s the head honcho around here and yoouuu certainly don’t want to get on his bad side,” a second voice spoke, “Besides, we need to get them off our sce-“ but the second voice quickly became muffled when the first person silenced them while saying,

“Shush, we’re not alone here,” he spoke and that was Dean and the gang’s cue to react. Dean rushed straight up towards the door, his shoulder slamming the slab of wood wide open. The figures of Dean, Sam and Y/N entered the room, hands clutched either around a gun or blades. The two figures inside broadened their faces, sinister smiles poking the corners of their lips high in the air.

The hunters became confused to who these two figures were, but the shimmer of liquid averted their eyes to evidence on the ground. Beside their feet laid the silent figures of the two residents that owned the home. Deep lacerations punctured at the base of their skulls and skidded all the way down the length of their bodies. Widened eyes frozen in time to the last membranes of pain they endured before the hand of death relieved them of their torture.

The fresh scent of exposed flesh and the potent aroma of blood invaded Y/N’s senses unwillingly. She blocked her nose with her elbow to ease the sudden exposure, but it did little to reduce the scent once it first entered her nose.

“Oh look, hunters,” the first person spoke.

“No, even better… Winchesters! And their little Barbie girl as well!”

“Alright, you werewolves, prepare to end this charade,” Dean threatened, raising his gun to point directly at their faces, waiting for them to flare out their fangs and claws, but they remained silent. Only the sinister smirks remained on their already stagnant figures.

“Dean, why aren’t they doing anything? Is this a trap?” Sam questioned, his weight teetering between both feet, uncertainty not persuading him make the first move.

“I don’t know and they don’t seem to have any weapons on them,” he concluded, glancing at the aftermath of the people’s deaths then back to the two figures.

“What’s up with all this?” Dean grudged, his lips pressing to a tight line. Y/N’s brows tightened together, ready to make the first move if the Winchesters didn’t move first.

But a puff of breath blew right across the right side of Y/N’s face. At first, her body sighed slightly, only in confusion to what she just felt. But a low graveled rumble spoke the unanswered question her mind was just about to ponder. Her body tightened uncomfortably at the realization of what was beside her, but also to the enormity its size. The columns of her teeth barred together, unwilling to turn her head, not that she would see what was beside her.

“I think we are…. A liiiiitle unprepared for this fight,” Y/N realized aloud, Sam and Dean turning their heads, curious to the visible tension of Y/N’s figure. Her body might have remained stone cold, but her eyes glared directly towards the two figures before them.

Slowly, the figure’s eyes flipped to the dark ebony that presented the only option of what they were: demons.

“Sick them,” the first demon spoke, the hunters not given a moment to react before their bodies were plummeted towards the other end of the room. The invisible force crashed their bodies against the wall with such a force that everyone remained on the ground once the impact collided finished.

Sam and Dean attempted to rise to their elbows, but the sudden, slow compression of their insides caving into each other bowed their bodies’ forwards. Y/N clutched her middle half, the taste of iron flowing up from her throat and in a single cough, red puddled on the ground before her. The three hunters remained helpless to the internal, slow torture the first demon was administering to them, a gleeful smirk on his face.

“How does it feel to have your insides slowly twist and turn inside out?” the second demon asked, relishing in the evident torture his companion was giving the hunters.

“Ah, like a day at the beach,” Dean ridiculed before the demon tightened his hand to slow Dean’s torture for his joking remark.

Y/N struggled to even lift her face, the muscles of her neck straining against itself to just cave in, but once she was able to bring her eyes level to the floor, two clouds of breath protruded in the air. Dean, clutched beside Y/N, grunted in his attempt to speak,

“Hell hound.” Y/N certainly knew what this creature was, watching an invisible force grind the ground before it, the wood scrapping and splitting to express its readied action to charge. Y/N’s stare tensed, though not able to fully see the hellhound, she definitely knew it was right in front of her. When the beast’s voice deepened, she knew it was about to attack.

She braced herself to feel her skin torn from her face when the beast whined, yelping to its current situation unknown to the hunters. Y/N, Sam and Dean turned their heads when the appearance of a beige coat caught their sight. Eyes stern, fixated on the beast before him with his hand-outstretched forwards. Castiel’s body stood firm and unfixed, the tendons protruding tensely from the top of his palm with his fingers slightly bent in its hold.

Though they certainly couldn’t breath it, given the predicament they were in, the hunters were relieved Castiel came right when he did, especially Y/N. If Castiel hadn’t come right then, she would have certainly been dead. Y/N’s expression tensed upon seeing the look Castiel presented to the hellhound he held in his invisible, angelic grip. Y/N recognized it all too well, the unyielding hold and resolve Castiel detained with pride when they first met him, when the apocalypse was looming over the world.

But something different lingered in the angel’s eyes. It wasn’t the cold, heartless soldier from those years ago. No, in his eyes now, the resolve, the determination to protect what he held most to his heart, no matter the cost, resolved around his entire being. Castiel turned his head slightly, recognizing the distorted faces of the demons. His figure stays grounded, though the pained grunts from his friends beside him catches his minds eye.

The lightly shinned eyes, glazed over by pain from Y/N, kicked Castiel’s heart the moment their eyes locked together. Castiel’s lips part slightly, only to tense back up again when crimson dribbling from her lips. A swelling of rage flared the angel’s nostrils, the tension in his raised grip tightening. He returns his gaze towards the demons, malicious smirks still presented to him.

They were foolish enough to charge towards the angel. Child’s play it was for Castiel to use his grace to propel the demons against the other side of the wall. A chorus of pained grunts rumbled from the demon’s chests, they certainly weren’t up for confronting the hunters, let alone their angel. The whining from the hellhound increased, sharp yelps and crackling bones reached everyone’s ears. Castiel’s expression remained motionless when his hand slowly started to pivot, the action itself reflecting on the pain inflicting on the hellhound.

Within moments, a sharp snap popped in the air before Castiel flung the deceased figure of the hellhound across the room. The placement where it landed was right was the demons were thrown, but no figures presented there now. Upon the disappearance of the demons, so did the release of the hunter’s torture. Like they had held their breath under water for what felt like an eternity, strained lungs and relieved insides relished in the exposure of airflow. Their figures hunched forwards in the greatest reprieve they’ve felt in those long minutes of agony.

Once it seemed the coast was clear, Castiel didn’t spend a second longer before dashing over towards his friends. He briefly touched his fingertips to the foreheads of the Winchesters, the invisible force of his grace washing over them to heal any major, internal injuries before turning his undivided attention to Y/N. He kneeled down beside Y/N, placing his hands on either side of her arms. She groaned when she attempted to sit up, her stomach stinging from whatever internal circus occurred from the demon’s torture. Castiel’s expression tightened to that of worry upon seeing her distress.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner,” Castiel apologized; slight squeezes of his palms around her arms expressed that of a silent apology to her. His voice laced with sincerity for he was caught up moments ago in another matter. He turned himself so he was kneeling in front of Y/N. Y/N lifted her head up to only halt instantly for sight of the most intense blues. Minute’s seemed like it slowed time down, but only seconds remained between the two before his blues fluttered down towards her lips.

Y/N’s thoughts speculated what he was signaling, but the bitterness of iron in her mouth concluded that for her. His eyes silently asked permission to remove the bitterness from her lips, not making another move until he was given consent. Y/N nodded her head slowly, eyeing Castiel’s hand tentatively rise up. The calloused texture of his palm contrasted to her chilled skin. But the moment her jaw line touched his palm, a soft warmth hazed above her skin until it fluttered past her natural walls and through her body. Like a soft energy was entering right through her, enveloping her in the sensation of comfort.

The throbbing and the high probably of internal bleeding quickly subsided, the aching evaporating away like it was never there. A sense of rejuvenation overcame Y/N the moment the pain disappeared. The pad of Castiel’s thumb glided softly against the bottom of her mouth, Castiel’s Adams apple bobbing up and down nervously. The sensation of his skin touching hers, of course an alien feeling for an angel like him, sent a warm tremble down his spine.

When his thumb came to contact with the now chilled crimson below her lip, his grace acted as a cloth and when his thumb swiped across the whole dribbled area, the blood completely disappeared. When Castiel’s grace took away the blood from her skin, a fluttering awareness trickled up to the inside of her mouth and in an instant, the warmness enveloped the inside of her mouth and all the blood she coughed up disappeared.

Y/N opened her mouth in realization the blood was gone, her eyes still fixed on Castiels’ before she closed them again. She tilted her head down in a silent appreciation for using his grace to relieve her of the pain. Though he didn’t need to use his otherworldly ability to rid of the blood, she certainly didn’t detest his tender touch.

Sam and Dean were now back on their feet and watched the silent, intimate interaction between Y/N and Castiel. Dean found this moment “dean worthy” of giving a silent, signature eyebrow wiggle. Sam, on the other hand, didn’t find it as amusing as his brother. A scolding glare was directed right towards Dean to stop him of his silent tease. A wide grin appeared before Dean’s expression returned to the deceased individuals they weren’t able to save. Anguish gnawed deep inside his heart, the familiar feeling whenever they were too late to save someone. He returned his attention back to his friends to discuss a stranger matter at hand.

“Ok, so…” Dean started, but had no clue on how to continue.

“Yeah, right,” Sam breathed, rubbing the back of his head uncertainly, not needing to seek clarity for he knew what Dean was already thinking.

“What the hell was that just now?!?” Dean questioned, frustration deepening his voice.

 “I-I-I don’t know. Why would demons stage a murder to make it look like werewolves did it?” Sam questioned, every hunter’s logical explanation trying to answer his baffled questions.

 “Dude, I don’t know. Maybe they are teaming up with werewolves?”

 “That wouldn’t make much sense. Werewolves are basically classes bellow demons. They aren’t even in the same league as each other. They’d never affiliate, like, ever!”

“I have learned over the years to not become surprised at nonsense like this. I mean, we’ve teamed up with Crowley before and did that turn out so bad?”

“Dean, yes. Every single time.”

“Then it proved my point.”

“Dean, you made no point.”

“The point is, it’s ridiculous,” Sam opened his mouth to reply, but his brain instantly stopped him, finding attempting to logically speak to Dean, sometimes, wasn’t fully possible, so he passed. Only pressing his brows up, his chin swooping down to twitch to the left.

“Ok then, so now what? Do we grab our demon blades or silver bullets?” Dean’s sarcasm merged together with his growing irritation on the current situation. No one had any clue what to do next, silence overhanging all their heads at the current predicament they were now facing.

 

“Man, that lousy angel! I won’t be able to sit for a week!” the first demon whined, his hand caressing against the muscles of his butt, attempting to ease the throbbing sensations pulsing in that general area. The second demon, which rested itself on top of an old, oil canister, blocked his mouth with his palm. The skin of his meat suit scrunched up while its shoulders teetered up and down with the emotion he was failing at suppress. He couldn’t hold it in any longer, before like the pop of a balloon, so did a loud bark of laughter that echoed in the interiors of the ancient architectural sight. The echoes collided against the metal frames, singing the metal beams in a shrieking hum.

“It’s not funny!” the first demon retorted, not amused by his comrade’s insulting reaction, but the second demon continues his fits of laughter.

“Hey, shut up!!” he retorted before a figure walked through the doorway, their heels clicking against the cold floor.

“Look at chu guys! No wonder we’re dangling at the bottom of the demon listings,” the now third demon inputted, their hips swaying to add charisma to their words.

“Man, I hate danglings,” the first demon dreaded, their head lowering which punctured their shoulders up towards the sky.

“Tch, yeah! You know, if it weren’t for those hunters, we’d be running the joint! This town is just asking to be butchered!”

“Man, I hate hunters,” the first demon replied.

“So temperamental!”

“Too much flannel!”

“And stinky!”

“And man are they…” the first and third demon walked towards one another, turned so their backs pressed together. As they pushed their weight against the other, they both shouted in a delighted, mocked tone,

“Uuuglyyyy!!”

“Oooo, surly all hunters aren’t that bad?” a witty voice echoed along the walls of the aged building the three demons inhabited. The three demon’s heads shot straight in the direction the voice directed, their bodies now stiff as boards and ready to attack whoever came through. The sway of the figures feet tapped gingerly against the cemented floor, a familiar face coming into their view. A sigh of relief breathed from the first and third demon.

“Oh, Daeva, it’s just you… we were afraid you were somebody important,” the first demon responded, but the fit of laughter from the second demon busted from right behind him.

“I’m surrounded by idiots,” his thumb and index finger rubbed soothing circles across the length of his forehead. Daeva sighed begrudgingly, questioning why he decided to rely on these three to help with his master plan.

“Nah, Daeva, you’re one of us, our pal!” the first demon complemented, but Daeva didn’t perceive it from that same perspective.

“Well, my pals,” Daeva soothed, catching their attention fully before turning his face darkly cold. The three demons hunched their forms in mock stupidity to what Daeva was about to scold them with now.

“Now, what did I tell you about getting seen, hmm?? The plan was to stage the murders to throw off hunters from our scent and look what happened? You got one of my precious hellhounds killed!” his voice enraged across the way, shivering the walls themselves of the metal barriers.

“Well, you know, it’s not like they were alone,” the third demon stated, trying to bring any sort of reasoning to the table so they wouldn’t end up on the chopping block.

“Yeah, you were even there yourself earlier,” the first demon mentioned. Daeva nodded his head in agreement. When he did approach the female hunter earlier that day, he didn’t expect to see her with the Winchesters, of all hunters. That could bring a dilemma to his plan.

“By the way, nice job taking that female hunter’s uncle as your meat suit! She never realized what you were, completely oblivious,” the first demon giggled, the second and third demon soon joining along in their cackle of laughter.

“Yes, well, I had taken this body the last time she was here, six years ago, to forego my original plan. All was going well, but I never thought she’d be foolish enough to return, not after what happened.”

“What do you plan to do with her now that she’s back? She has no idea what you did after she left,” the third demon asked, curious about Daeva’s devious plans for the hunters who always seem to foil all their plans. Daeva pressed his lips together, feigning contemplation as he glanced up at the rusted ceiling.

“That is for me to plan out and you three to help, since you have already messed up. You at least owe me that much,” Daeva glared, for the three demons simply faked a smile and shrugged their shoulders.

“We can take those loosechesters, no problem! We’re prepared for them!”

“Yeah prepared, we’ll be prepared… for what?” the first demon clearly didn’t catch onto the game plan.

“You three will distract the Winchesters and their pet guard dog while I finish what I started six years ago with their other, little friend,” Daeva slowly rubbed the inside of his palms together, a dark cloud of disturbing intent clouding inside his thoughts.

“But, uh, we don’t meddle with angels, ya know,” the first demon reminded, but Daeva was going have nothing more with these fool’s cowardice, not when it came to this particular plan.

“You will do as I say or I will filet your bones over hell’s fire and feed them to my hounds. DO YOU understand me?!” Daeva flared, three sets of shoulders recoiling backwards, but their frantic nodding heads agreed to his conditions. Daeva’s smile relished in the imaginations replaying throughout his mind of the special things he had planned for that female hunter.

 

~~~

 

The weight of Y/N’s forehead against her palm pressed harder and harder the heavier the weight in her body sunk against it. Her head collided against all aspects of her mind, spinning it around and round until she couldn’t see straight anymore, nonetheless hold her head up. The emotions and memories of her past were reluctant to give her a moment of peace and an added bonus; the complexities of the case rampaged inside her head as well. She knew coming back here wasn’t a good idea, not for her. She spent most of her life running from this place, and now here she was again, and she didn’t know whether her heart could take anymore of this.

Dean and Sam decided to go on a brief beer and burger run. After encountering what they just witnessed, they certainly needed those comfort foods to help curve their sanity over. Y/N chose to stay back at the motel and check if anything in her journal or John Winchester’s journal would mention anything about demons staging deaths like what they just saw. But if she was to be truthful, she didn’t think any hunter’s journals or lore would have a sentence or two to speak about this. This was one case that was far weirder for them to completely understand.

But she wasn’t alone. The trench-coated angel seated himself in the small chair across from where Y/N was currently sitting. The degrading lampshade in the center of the table casted the ugliest hue of mustard yellow anyone would consider deem able for a motel. The only real use it had was shedding a source of light to be able to read the fine prints of the hand written notes in the journal.

The sound of aged pages scratched against the air when Castiel’s finger turned another side. His eyes darted left and right as his mind read the written notes resting inside. So far, nothing said much about demons they didn’t already know, though they were naturally devious creatures, so it would be to no ones surprise they would come up with a plan like this. But sadly, it did come to everyone’s surprise and no one knew how to handle the jarring turn of events.

The tap of the journal collided against the fake plastic table, the weight sighing the pages together with the full weight of the closed book. A degrading groan passed Castiel’s lips when he could no longer find a plausible answer. He rested silently for a moment, rummaging through his own mind in past dealings with demons, but nothing helped. Castiel’s tongue poked from his lips, caressing the landscapes of his skin to wet his whistle before speaking. But no breath ushered a single word upon witnessing Y/N’s current sloughed figure atop the table.

Her chin was propped on her stacked arms, criss-crossed in front of the other with the book she was previously reading discarded to the side. The steady rise and fall of her back, soft snores inhaling from her mouth indicated she was deeply asleep. Castiel’s back pressed firmer against the back of the chair, simply gazing upon her peaceful features. It appeared no distress or pain resided within her dreams. Castiel’s heart decompressed to a relieved sigh that she appeared to not be in any distress.

Castiel seemed to think too soon when a rasped groan scratched against the inside of Y/N’s throat. Inadvertently, Y/N’s brows tightened together, whatever she was dreaming, caused a wave of distress. The thought of Castiel’s from earlier plan popped into his head the instant Y/N showed worrying signs. Regret and guilt gnawed at his heart, screaming to him to not do what he was thinking of. But what else could Castiel do? Without knowing the details, there was no way he could help her. And if Y/N didn’t want to indulge him with the truth, Castiel had to seek it some other way.

Castiel’s teeth clenched together, the steady sloped rows grinding together in his final, inner turmoil to continue with his plan. The pained exhale of breath decided Castiel’s final decision for him. He scooted himself forwards in the chair until he was brimming right on the edge. The coarse fabric of his trench coat ruffled when he extended his hand forwards. Steadily, silent as the air, Castiel reached his hand until his fingertips tenderly pressed against her forehead.

When Castiel’s touch came to contact with Y/N’s figure, he used the power of his grace to delve deep into the realm of Y/N’s dream. Castiel has done this before and every time he stepped into someone else’s dreams, he instantly regretted it. He felt it was an invasion of someone’s privacy, going in without their permission. But Castiel trusted he was doing this for Y/N, to help her with whatever was causing her so much pain.

 

The scene of Y/N’s dream unfolded before Castiel, all leading up to the moment she ran away when her father told her to run. A mysterious figure deeming fit to attack her and her father. He watched as an internal struggle forced Y/N to halt in her place, unsure whether to return to her father or not. It didn’t take long for her to decide before she sprinted back to her father. But she was already too late, his slowly degrading body remaining silent on the cold earth. She kneeled before him, unaware of the figure walking quietly right behind her.

_“Y/N, what have you done?” Y/N staggered backwards, her eyes darting between the body of her dead father and the strange man before her._ Castiel watched carefully as the moment started to unfold.

_“That person and… my dad came to pick me up, after I ran away and he,” her breath hiccupped, the swelling of emotions beginning to overpower her. “It was an accident. I-I didn’t mean for it to happen.”_

_“Of course, of course you didn’t. No one ever means for these things to happen… but your father is dead… my brother… if it weren’t for you, he’d still be alive.”_ Castiel’s head jerked back in revolt to her uncle’s words. Even Castiel realized that that wasn’t the most appropriate words to speak to a child.

_Y/N raises her head in realization to her selfish actions, every fiber inside her beginning to freeze to her core. She tilted her head down, a hot stream building at the brim of her eyelid before tumbling down her cheek._

_“Uncle, what am I gonna do?”_

_“Run away, Y/N. run, run away and never return.”_

And at that moment, Castiel released his touch upon Y/N’s figure, instantly leaving her dream. All senses of reasoning tried to calculate within his head, trying to piece together the scene from her past and the atrocious demeanor of her uncle. How could he say that to a 15-year-old girl? She was just a child then. How would she have known one thing would lead to another?

A graveled vibration jumbled against the firm toppings of the table both Y/N and Castiel resided at. The abrupt sensation startled Y/N from her sleep, her eyelashes flapping against her cheeks with her quick motions. Y/N glanced at the glowing screen of her phone, the name “UNKNOWN” shining right in the center. She reached for her phone, the vibrating mechanic humming against her palm the moment she lifted it off the table. Castiel eyed Y/N carefully, curious as to whom would be calling Y/N at this hour. Y/N poked the answer button, her voice strained from the sudden wakeup call.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Y/N,” a mechanical voice answered from the other end. The strange voice spoke in the same tone criminals use to conceal their true voices. Y/N’s shoulders, along with Castiels’ straightened when the strange voice reached their ears.

“Who is this?”

“You may not know me, but I certainly know you. The little girl who ran away from daddy all those years ago… do you remember that night?” Y/N’s teeth clenched together in reaction to a stranger, who lays claim to having known of that night.

“Who are you?”

“I was there that night, remember the moment in the car? The figure standing in the middle of the road?” Y/N’s lips slowly parted when all tension in her jaw slacked, the memory all too clear in her mind. Her silence was the answer the figure on the other end was waiting for.

“Meet me at the abandoned Carrie Furnace, alone, and I will tell you who killed your father. But come alone or your friends will meet the same fate as all those innocent people,” and right after that, the other line fell silent. Y/N

“Y/N, whoever that person was, don’t go there. It could be a trap,” Castiel warned, but more so, he didn’t want Y/N to get into anymore danger for this trip. Y/N turned her attention so her eyes connected right away with his. Her unyielding resolve answering the question Castiel hoped he wouldn’t see.

“I have to go, Cas. I have to know.” Y/N spoke nothing more while she lifted herself from the chair, the legs grazing against the floor. She grabbed her coat, reaching for the door and leaving the motel room. Castiel didn’t leave an inch more of space between him and Y/N as he followed her outside.

Almost as if right on cue, the familiar appearance of the Impala pulled right into the parking lot. When Dean put Baby in park, he noticed Y/N leaving the motel room, Castiel practically right on her heels. A sigh groaned from the back of his throat, almost finished with this entire hunt. He and Sam exited the car, eying Y/N as she walked right by them.

“Hey, Y/N, where are you going?” Dean asked, his voice sharp with his inquires for an answer.

“I’ve got something I need to do,” Y/N replied, not even sparing a single glance back at the Winchesters or the angel.

“Will you at least tell us what’s going on?” Sam calmly asked, trying to sound more concerned then the irritation his brother expressed.

“Yeah, you’ve been acting weird ever since we arrived here. What’s the deal?” Dean was past the point of asking nicely.

“Dean,” Sam’s voice gritted behind his tightly closed mouth.

“Is it about your father?” the question from Castiel entered Y/N’s ears, her boots scrapping against the gravel beneath her feet in a sudden halt. Y/N’s heart froze completely. No movement of blood further entered her heart for the frozen fear stopped it all. Y/N turned herself to face the three men standing behind her. Sam and Dean’s eyebrows furrowed tightly, the question from the angel puzzling them before they turned their eyes back to Y/N.

“What do you mean, Cas?” Dean asked, his eyes bouncing back and forth between Castiel and Y/N. Y/N’s figure grounded, her shoulders rigid and squared, hoping to avoid speaking of the past that plagued her mind constantly.

“I’m right… aren’t I?” Castiel clarified. Y/N remained still, but when her eyes averted towards the ground, the heavy weight of regret turned her eyes. Castiel knew he was right. But Y/N had to realize that Dean was also right. She was not herself ever since they came to this god-forsaken town and she gave no explanations’ for her actions. They had to know the truth… she owed them that much. Her breath shook, rattling her bones as she prepared to bring her past to the light.

“You know, probably like all men who fall madly in love… who find their soul mate, loose their way once that other half of them is dead… my father was never the same when my mother died. He grew cold, distant even. He drank too much to drown out his sorrow and he was a hard ass. He hammered me about my studies, being that perfect student, accusing me of not getting the perfect grades or not being the perfect student.”

Y/N shook her head, the conflicting emotions of her past brimming tears to the edges of her eyes. She bowed her head in attempts to hide her brewing tears, but it was no use.

Y/N never shed tears, even in the worst moments of grief, but when the Winchesters noticed a sheet of glistening liquid before her eyes, they realized this was serious. Their faces whipped any trace of irritation for softness removing it all away. The boy’s expressions before her relaxed, concern and sympathy glancing back at her as she continued her story.

“One night, I got into a fight with my dad and like the immature girl I was back then, I ran away. I ran as far away from him as I could cause I could not take his accusations any longer… I couldn’t take the pain any longer. So, I ran and took refuge in an abandoned yard. I don’t know how long I was there before my father finally found me. And you thought your father, Sam… Dean, you thought he was scary when he was mad, you should have seen my father… he was furious.”

“I had to go with him, there was nowhere else for me to go. So, we were on the road, the dark night encompassing all around us but only the headlights of the car to light our way. It was dead silent in the car, almost suffocating until all of a sudden, a figure appeared in the middle of the road. My dad was going too fast and he didn’t have time to push the brakes, so we turned… and the car flipped over.”

“When I woke up, I felt someone tugging at my coat, trying to drag me out of the car. I couldn’t recognize who it was until my head stopped spinning and it was my dad. I couldn’t understand it at the time, but he was scared. I don’t know if it was for my safety, but he kept glancing to his left. Whatever or whoever was in the road was there and he was trying to get me out of the car as fast as he could.”

“Once I was freed, he pushed me aside, told me to run… so I did.” Y/N’s heart clenched in slow agony. Recalling the past in her mind was one thing, but verbally speaking it aloud felt a whole lot worse. The straightness of her mouth became distorted, trembling when the glass full of emotions seeped over the edge.

“I shouldn’t have left him, I-I should have stayed by his side then none of that would have happened. He would still be here!” her emotions shouted, Castiel not able to bear watching her agony any longer before within two steps, his arms wrapped around her trembling figure. Y/N quickly grabbed hold of the comfort Castiel unthinkingly gave to her. One arm wrapped tightly around her back while the other around her shoulders, her face pressed against the lapels of his coat.

“That’s why you never returned,” Dean quietly realized. The palm of his hand pressed against his face as he slid it slowly against his skin. Regret filling his thoughts at just because they signed onto this hunt, it brought you pain.

“And that’s how Bobby found you, beside the road,” Sam also concluded. Once Y/N’s figure stopped shaking, she lifted her head up and nodded towards Sam, confirming his conclusion.

“I-I’m sorry Sam, Dean, for not telling you all of this… I’ve been running from my guilt this entire time and I’m ashamed because of it.”

“So who was that on the phone?” Castiel asked, earning puzzled looks from the brothers.

“I don’t know, but they knew what happened that day… and I have to go.” Sam, Dean and Castiel’s figures stood a little firmer, knowing full well this could all be a trap.

“Please, Y/N,” Castiel’s voice pleaded. When Castiel’s figure parted but mere inches from her, an internal wave of warmth flourished from deep within Y/N’s heart. Mixed emotions swirled around in her head, clashing against her walls of restraint. She fought hard to hold it back, her will pushing it all away, but it only seemed to increase the tension.

“I thi…I think whatever happened in my past is connected to all of this. I think it’s a sign and I gotta finish it.”

“For what? For revenge?” Dean questioned, knowing full well what happens when someone acts on revenge.

“For truth,” Y/N wasn’t lying when she said that, but there was also something else that plagued her thoughts. Even her shed tears could not clear the path to reveal that truth. Unknown to all of them, Sam was the only one trying to piece together Y/N’s back story and what it was she truly wanted from this. A huff of breath spoke the realization he came to.

“I don’t think its revenge… or the truth you’re seeking, not completely,” Sam spoke, all eyes and attention turned towards him now. Y/N’s throat tightened, certainly aware it would be the youngest Winchester to figure it out. She stood there, uncomfortably silent, awaiting and also dreading to finally hear those words.

“I think you want forgiveness. Forgiveness for the mistake made all those years ago and not just from us. I see why you hid the truth from us. I get it, I really do. You were afraid we would never forgive you, for accusing you of your father’s death. But don’t you see, Y/N? Dean and I have obviously done worse things then you. You, of all people, have nothing to be ashamed of,” Y/N’s expression dropped, the words finally brought to life, heard through her ears. Dean’s head teetered up and down in his silent agreement to his brother’s words.

“And besides,” Dean chimed in, taking a step forwards towards Y/N. Castiel slipped his arms away from Y/N so her and Dean could be face to face.

“We will always forgive you, no matter what. Cause you are our family and we take care of each other.” A shaky sigh trembled up Y/N’s throat and broke past her tightly closed lips. She never thought, in all this time she had been with the Winchesters, that she’d ever be forgiven. They might have not been there the night it happened, but just knowing, even hearing, that someone forgave her, was enough to lift that long, weighted burden from her shoulders. Y/N nodded her head in appreciation, to both Sam and Dean.

“Alright, so, we will come with you,” Sam suggested, but Y/N’s eyes squinted together, signaling to Sam that wasn’t going to be an option.

“No, Sam…” Dean’s head turned for perplexity caused his mind to wonder what she meant.

“You’re not suggesting on doing this alone, are you?” Castiel’s question entered her ears. Y/N returned her eyes back to him, only to see his usual beautiful blue eyes now dimmed with his concern.

“That’s exactly what I’m suggesting.”

“No, we can’t have you do that, Y/N,” Dean protested, Sam sharing a glance with him to exchange brief nods in agreement.

“It’s something I have to do on my own, guys. Besides, the person I spoke to said if I don’t go in there alone, they will kill you. AND, we don’t even know what _it_ is!”

“Eehh, we’ve gone off worse before. Whatever they have for us, we can handle it. Right, Sammy?”

“Right, cause we are a family, Y/N, and families don’t let them go into danger alone.”

“Besides, Sammy is too stubborn he’d not want to miss on all the action,” Dean’s breath puffed exhales from his lungs in amusement to his response, but Sam’s only retort was a degraded sigh. Dean cleared his throat, realizing no one appreciated his witty remark and returned to his serious tone.

“You might have left your other family behind, but we sure as hell won’t leave you behind… we got your back every step of the way, kiddo.” Dean’s eyes starred right towards Y/N, unyielding in his beliefs and words. Sam pressed his lips together in agreement.

“Yeah, but you don’t have to do it alone. We are your family and we are here to help you.”

“If you wont listen to me, listen to them,” Castiel spoke, his fingers pinching tighter around hers. Y/N’s lips pressed together and a weird, swelling feeling washed against her face, the warm undertone brightening her complexion.

“Let us help you, Y/N. You don’t know what you’re going up against.”

“Do you trust me?” Y/N asked, but Castiel’s questions shadowed Y/N’s response.

“If you go in there alone, who knows what might happen to you!”

“Cas,” Y/N spoke quietly, but he still didn’t hear her.

“We can’t lose you, Y/N,” Castiel’s voice cracked slightly beneath the surface.

“Castiel.”

“I can’t-“ but Castiel’s voice rushed to a sharp halt when Y/N’s finger pressed gently against his lips. The sudden contact sent a strange feeling inside of Castiel’s vessel, the spot where her finger met his lips buzzed a strange warmth. Castiel’s already vibrant eyes shone brightly when Y/N’s E/C’s rested upon his. Her face expressed no falter to her decision, but no sign of worry lay there as well.

“Do you… trust me?” And without a split second to think on it, the muscles in Castiel’s neck bobbed his head up and down.

“Thank you,” a faint breath passed her lips when they moved, but no words spoke through. Castiel relished in the sensation of her finger slowly sliding from his lips, secretly wishing her touch would never leave. The warmth sliding from his skin left a hot trail in its wake, blazing hotter with every pulse the blood in his veins pumped.

“Keep your angel ears open, so if things seem to go wrong, like, really wrong, you’ll know what to do. Sound fair?” her voice softly asked, hoping that was an agreeable term for the angel before her. Castiel’s brow twitched up, his mind wondering in distant thought, glancing towards the skies like it would help him decide the factor. But Castiel knew what to do and he didn’t need to think further on the matter.

To confirm his decision, his hands cupped Y/N’s single one gently, like sheltering a baby bird from the fiery storms of nature around it.

“You know I will always come for you, Y/N. No decision needs to be made on that part.” Y/N’s smile warmed her heart, her soul secretly fluttering with reassurance and comfort to Castiel’s words. She didn’t know, though, that Castiel felt the lightness of her soul, her reaction to his words. That gave the angel a further spark of hope.

The heels of Y/N’s shoes crunched against the gravel stones bellow her as she slowly stepped backwards. The further her body went, the slightly stronger Castiel’s hold gripped her hand. Not painfully, but enough where her hand wouldn’t slip from his so easily. The palm of her hand unhurriedly dragged away from his, then her knuckles until her fingertips just barely hovered above his skin until like a single breath of wind gliding against the space, so did her hand from his. Y/N twitched her head towards the boys behind Castiel and they returned the gesture.

“We’ll be here when you need us,” Sam clarified, earning a wider smile as the corners of her lips perked right against her cheeks.

“And you kick that things ass, cause if you don’t, we certainly will,” Dean confirmed with her. Y/N appreciated the support and trust they had in her, even when she knew they would probably be right outside the building’s walls, keeping a sharp ear on the entire situation.

Tension seemed to build up the moment the Impala neared the silhouette of the factory. Along the ride there, Castiel kept a tight hold upon Y/N’s hand. Reassurance for her, but more so for himself. He prayed his silent words that Y/N will be all right, trying to have as much faith and courage she currently held. The Impala halted less then a quarter of a mile from the building, no form of light inside to indicate it was abandoned.

Reassured nods became exchanged between everyone, Y/N confirming the strap around her shoulder that held every sort of weapon she owned. At least, Castiel made sure every type of weapon was inside. He couldn’t help but watch her like a dog watching its owner through the glass on the front door as their owner leaves. Alert keeping them grounded, eying their favorite with every step they took. Dean noticed the stern demeanor of their angel friend, so to lighten the mood, he mentioned,

“You know, if you kissed her, she might have reconsidered,” Dean spoke, of course, the perfect moment to bring out a Dean remark. Castiel paid the Winchester no further attention, for his main focus watched Y/N every step she took towards the abandoned furnace building.

 

~~~

 

The final shades of the evening’s colors faded against the everlasting backdrop. A horizon of midnight laid waste to the skies, but like the rock faces, hidden gems glittered beneath the surface for only those eagerly searching could find.

The silhouette, illuminated by spots of orange and yellow, lit up the destination the figure on the phone intended to meet Y/N. Its haunting silos of cold metal contrasted to the blazing copper bellow it, the ancient colors almost painful to the eye. Upon Y/N’s time in her town, long ago, she never once came to this historical place and telling by the rustic visual, she had a good reason not to. Her hand gripped her backpack tighter, the strap around her shoulder pressing against her body while the anticipation crawled up her spine in an unsettling fashion.

She forced an elongated intake of breath, the bitter air stinging her insides, all the way to the dark depths of her lungs. As cold as the air came in, a forced hot breath emerged through once she released the tension, hoping that would make her feel better. It only did for a millisecond before she finally forced herself to make her way inside the factory.

Inside, the metal walls glowed an ominous green. The years of weathering had eaten away and left a sickly shade to illuminate the inside. Like a festering sickness, the shade consumed every speck of the place. Only patches of the original metal remained here and there. The ceiling arched up to form a sharp point. The side that Y/N entered through, the enormity of the furnace caught her attention almost immediately. The construction, the circumference of the dome was enough to make any human feel small.

Y/N remembered as a kid, when she attended school in this local town, there were rumors of sightings of workers still pouring away at molten, burning metals and from the looks of the place, she can see why. Y/N thought nothing more on that matter as a kid, but after learning the lifestyle of a hunter and what really goes bump in the night, she could certainly believe it.

She stepped hesitantly inside, her heartbeat crashing against her ears. An ominous atmosphere plagued this place, whether it was from the figure she was meeting here or if there were truly ghosts haunting the factory, no ounce of courage settled the atmosphere that overwhelmed her thoughts.

Patches of the floorboards were broken through, chips of broken cement scattered across the floor like crumbs and flakes of broken metal resided in shards across every inch of the place. A moldy aroma entered her lungs with every step she took, careful each time her toes landed inches before her. Her senses buzzed on high alert, waiting to hear anything so she would be ready to strike.

The walls moaned to her presence like the architecture itself dreaded a living soul meandering inside its domain. A loud crash suddenly collided against the walls behind her, Y/N’s body sharply jolted. She quickly released her weapon from her side, readying it in case something decided to spring forward. Nothing emerged, but her grip on her weapon remained in a deathly hold.

“It’s a beautiful place, isn’t it?” a familiar voice echoed into her ears. At first, Y/N couldn’t believe whom it was, his words replaying inside her head once more before she turned in the direction for which he spoke. Standing hundreds of feet before her was her uncle, aimlessly tossing his legs, one in front of the other, while his eyes gleamed at the corroded walls around him.

“Uncle?” she asked, lowering her weapon so it tapped against her side. Anxiety kicked in, her eyes swooshing left and right to make sure no one else was there. But also from the fact her uncle saw her holding a weapon just now and she raised it right at him.

“Uncle, what are you doing here? It’s too dangerous for you to be here, you should leave!” Y/N’s voice dropped to an urgent hush, hoping she could get him out of here before the figure she was supposed to meet would show up. But her uncle only dropped his head, the visual of his cheekbones lifting up to present a sinister laugh confused Y/N further.

“You have never been one to listen, were you? You naughty girl,” his tone dropped lower, a seething malice caressing his words. Y/N halted dead in her tracks; the unexpected tone is his voice alerting her hunter senses like a sharp alarm.

“It is you who shouldn’t be in here,” he caressed his palms together, interchanging the positions like a dance to a sinister tune to the plot he finally had in store.

“What do you mean?”

“Let me introduce myself. I am not from around here and those who know me, recognize me by,” before he presented his name, streams of black started to cloud his eyes until nothing but an abyss remained. Two dark eyes glaring back at her and Y/N’s heart dropped to her stomach.

“Daeva.”

“No… yo-you can’t be.”

“It’s a pleasure to officially meet you, Y/N. I’ve heard so many haunting tales about you.”

“Funny, I’ve never heard of you before,” Y/N held up her weapon before her face, her glare steely to the demon who showed himself to her. But her stomach gnawed in a slow agony to the fact it was her uncle, but was he still alive inside? Could she save him?

“Yeah, well, lets just say, I’m old. One of the oldest demons out there and I keep a fairly low profile now a days.” Daeva shrugged, nonchalant to the lifestyle he’s had for decades.

“Oh yeah, violently killing all those innocent people sounds like a low-key life. Now, you leave my uncle’s body or else!” Y/N threatened, challenging Daeva as she took cautious steps forwards.

“Oh, you mean this meat suit?” Daeva pointed to his chest, his chin almost touching when he glanced down.

“Oh, this man hasn’t been home in a very, long time!” his voice sizzled, relishing in the memory of the day he killed Y/N’s uncle. The sheer recollection warmed the meat suit in an unsettling way.

“You killed him?” Y/N’s voice cracked, hot flashes of rage and grief blasted inside of her like bombs timed to go off once her emotions started to teeter.

“Honey, he’s been dead for a very, very long time. Want me to tell you the story of how it happened?” Y/N’s feet started to take her backwards, her thoughts starting to mull out of control. Y/N might have been a hunter, but even she had thin walls that emotions could easily crash through. The fact her legs unwillingly started to take her backwards, Daeva knew she was in his back pocket.

Three sets of voices chuckled along the air, bouncing against the metal cage and crashing against Y/N’s ears. She had a gut feeling those voices also came from demons, so now she realized she was outmatched and in real danger. She turned to run, but a demon was standing right before her.

Her breath skipped out of her lungs to the sudden figure, so she lunged her weapon towards the demon, not even thinking to whether the original holder was still alive. It was fight or die at this point. The demon predicted she was about to lunge, but a strong grip grabbed her arm from behind. Y/N turned her head and another demon stood beside her, their eyes glowing darkly at her.

She couldn’t use her one arm to attack, so she tried with the other, but a third hand gripped her tight and stopped her. Y/N instantly recognized who these demons were. They were the ones she saw the other night staging the deaths of those people, the ones who had the hellhound.

She didn’t even need to turn her head to know a third was standing on the other side. In her failed attempts, she jerked her arms, trying to free herself, but the demon’s hold on her arms were too strong. Sickly giggles and fits of chuckles chirped from the three demons, stepping aside slightly so Y/N was now in Daeva’s line of sight.

“You know, you really aren’t that smart for a hunter, are you? You walked riiiigghtt in here, thinking you could take on whatever called you here. That was me, by the way, very foolish of you,” Daeva mocked, swirling his pointer finger at her.

“And you talk too much for the twisted trash that you all are!”

“Twisted? Oooo, you’re too kind,” his mock flirtation broadening his mouth so gems of teeth shown right at her.

“Show her what it means to think she’s brave enough to come into an abandoned place on their own, without backup,” he waved his finger absentmindedly, signaling to the other three demons it was their turn. Bolts of fear sparked underneath her skin, the instinct to run faltered by the demon’s grips. She opened her mouth to scream, but a sharp blow to her stomach kicked out all the air from her lungs. She choked on her breath, her lungs struggling to regain breathe. The world around her altered, everything blurring the more hits that collided with her figure.

 

~~~

 

The demons enjoyed their fun with her, kicking Y/N around, tossing her against the walls just to relish in the song the metal walls rang when her body crashed against it. When one of the demons threw her body, her back slammed against a protruding metal box, a button encased by a thin layer of glass. Once Y/N’s back broke the glass, the button glowed red, bringing the furnaces around them to life. The bellows roared in vivacity when the machinery sparked alive, red embers glowing and the furnace presenting a faint glow to its almost awakened state.

Y/N’s figure plummeted towards the ground, her arms gripping her aching sides and her head spinning in sideways circles from the consistent bashing she took from being thrashed against the metal walls. The three demons stepped aside to allow Daeva to walk through. His eyes bore down at her, his mind racing to the pleasant scenarios of what he would do to her. Y/N’s head lulled upwards, surprised she still had the strength to do so.

“We’re gonna have fun tonight, aren’t we?” Daeva’s head lulled to the side, a devious smirk glittering down towards her.

 

The sudden echoes of something firm being slammed against the metal walls caught the attention of the Winchesters and Castiel instantly. Castiel’s gut sparked on high alert, his stomach turning and his heart praying Y/N would be all right. Dean and Sam spent little time collecting all sorts of weapons, rummaging through their trunk until Castiel sensed something. The familiar tinge of a demon’s aura reaching his senses, a deep growl vibrating deep within his chest.

The unnerving sound even stilled the Winchesters, halting instantly when it reached their ears. Castiel only spoke one word, “demons,” and that gave the brothers the perfect idea of what weapons to bring. But they had to hurry, for who knows if Y/N brought the right weapons to fight off demons.

Castiel’s eyes scanned the barriers of the factory, the familiar sigils painted in invisible ink dropping his stomach when he knew all too well what they were for. He informed the Winchesters that the factory was heavily warded, for he could not get in until a sigil was broken. The brothers understood, Sam grabbing a knife before sprinting down towards the factory with Castiel while Dean gathered the demon knife and angel blades, the harsh thud of the trunk slamming before he joined his comrades down the hill.

 

“Let me tell you a tale of a reckless girl,” Daeva started, his hands holding a tight grip on the lapels of Y/N’s coat. Her mind grew distant the more she was slammed against the metal ground. The heat from the furnace bellow blazed against her back. She didn’t even realize they were on higher ground, the metal balcony hovering hundreds of feet high. She must have blacked out when the demons tossed her around, but the face of her uncle was the only thing she could see now. But it wasn’t her uncle anymore, not really.

Daeva knew the more he provoked her with tales of her dead family, the more he could control her and make her loose focus. She really was one of the more sensitive hunters in the world and that made her easy to distress.

“One day, I was minding my own, killing here, tricking there. Even dabbled in making a deal or two here… until, one day, I spotted a distressed family.” Daeva pressed Y/N’s shoulders against the metal floor, pinning her so she could not escape. Her brows pulled together in a tight hold, reluctant to hear his babblings anymore.

“A family of two. One, was an older man, pretty wrecked up after the death of his beloved wife, but beside him, was a young girl… his daughter.” Y/N’s eyes fixed onto her uncles, though, not his anymore for they belonged to a demon now. And apparently, not just any demon, but a very old and strong one at that. Her stomach sunk for she feared where this story might be going, reluctant all the same to never hear it.

“One evening, they got into a fight and the poor girl got so upset that she ran away. I followed her, the cries of her soul practically a bat signal for demons, like myself, an easy target. I followed her to an abandoned yard and watched her. Watched her whole life fall apart. I didn’t make a move because I relished in the live show of your distraught face!” Y/N jerked her body up, trying to preserve her energy, but also trying to break herself free, but it was useless. He was too strong.

“Daddy picks her up in a car and off they drive. So, you know what I do? I stand in the middle of the road as they are driving along,” Y/N’s face stills, fearing the truth that was about to be brought to the light.

“You wanted the truth, girly, so here it is! Their car crashes and the father is frantically trying to get the door open cause there is something familiar, but also not so much, coming his way. The girl runs off and leaves poor ole daddy alone. Daddy senses there is something wrong with the individual who he saw.” Daeva releases his binding hold on Y/N’s coat. Y/N takes the chance in attempts to flee, but the heavy impact of his shoe against her stomach pushed her body across the way.

Metal scrapes against her coat as the force pushes her towards the edge. Within her degraded state, Y/N reaches her hands out, her fingers latching onto two loose boards in the floor. Her body jerks when she didn’t thrust over the edge, dangling hundreds of feet above the burning furnace. The flames blazing against her skin, sizzling sighs against her pants. Her arms struggle to lift herself up, to pull up from her dangling position, but with every tug, a squeak pushed the board further up. Y/N couldn’t do that or she’d fall right into the boiling furnace.

Daeva sits there, head turned with a fake thinking expression on his face. He turns his eyes away, recollecting lost memories of familiarity to the situation now.

“Hmm, now this looks familiar? I wonder-oh yes, now it comes back to me,” a glower darkens the irises of his eyes, slowly consumed in black as he placed his hands behind his back. When he revealed his hands, he slammed his palms against the top of Y/N’s hand.

Shots of pain punctured right through Y/N’s hands, through muscle and bone, to the impact she was not expecting. A crossbar of metal wrapped around each of Daeva’s knuckles while five curved blades followed in a deceivingly elegant curve and imbedded into the tops of Y/N’s hands. Dark crimson flowed from each puncture point, flowed down the sides of her hands and dribbled down the cracks in the degraded flooring.

“Like these? They are called bagh naka, a weapon designed in India. Clever thing it is… do you know what bagh naka means?” Daeva asked, pressing the metal deeper into her skin. Y/N’s teeth clamped against the insides of her cheeks, using all her might to suppress screaming in pain.

“It means tiger’s claws in Hindi. These things are the best! But also, before I forget, here’s my little secret,” his voice lowered, pinching the back of his shoulder blades together so he could lower his head. Once his lips were hovering above her ear, his breath sizzled against her skin,

“I killed your father… and the rest of your family.” Y/N’s heart sunk to the bottom of her stomach. The overgrowth of grief that plagued her soul all these years, though heard the truth, sunk back into the darkest depths of her thoughts. That would explain why no one from her family went searching for her… they were killed, by him.

Fumes of blind rage clouded her judgment, forgoing the pain of the metal claws currently puncturing her hands. Using the strength of her elbows to hoist herself up, her figure slowly raised higher until she was face to face with Daeva. A disturbing smirk glanced right at her, meeting eye to eye with her burning ones. She didn’t want to glare at those deceiving eyes any longer before she slammed her forehead against his.

Though, that action could do no harm to him, it did catch him off guard. He grunted to the annoying surprise, his head pushed back, but this also caused the claws in her hands to slide down. The sensation of every fiber of her muscle structure splitting apart. The tip of the metal grazing against her body’s structure, imbedding jagged indents into her pearly bones only fueled the rage she openly expressed.

She staggered to her feet, the pain and past beatings wobbling her shoulders a little before she was able to regain more aspects of her focus. A malicious snicker simmered from Daeva’s throat, the tip of his finger wiping away small specks of dirt from his bottom lip. Cocky as a demon was, he charged forwards and Y/N followed his lead by charging back.

 

~~~

 

The tip of Sam’s blade broke the sigil that prevented the angel from entering the premises. But once it was broken, that was when the real fun was about to begin. A rumble hummed in the sky above him. Quick flashes of light staggered behind the looming clouds and the sensation of sparks in the air. Sam and Dean had never felt such a looming force before and if he were to speak truly, it certainly intimidated them.

When the Winchesters turned to see if Cas had caught up, the breath around them froze instantly the moment they saw him. The visual of Castiel brought back memories of the time Dean first saw him. An unknown figure stern and rigid, an expression as blank and cold as the chilled air around them. Castiel charged forward, the uncompromising expression on his face with the malicious intent he would befall on whoever hurt Y/N.

Dean moved his arm in front of Sam to press him back, both brothers keeping a wide space between them and the obvious pissed off angel. With every step Castiel placed onto the ground, the earth itself even shivered to the raw power Castiel presented. Once Castiel entered the factory, all eyes set on the two figures currently fighting before a blazing furnace.

He didn’t even pay attention to the two demons that foolishly stepped in front of him. They were either too eager in their own malice or truly stupid to witness the obvious enraged angel, but nonetheless, they charged forwards. No matter what they attempted to accomplish with their meager attack, Castiel could care less. His attention was set on the figure currently beating the one he cared for to the ground.

Castiel’s figure marched in between the demons before his hands shot right to either demon’s bottom jaw. Like a spear sharply thrown to the heart, so did Castiel’s grace into the demons. They cried out in useless agony while bursts of light shone through their eyes and parted mouths. With little force needed, Castiel easily pushed the demons forwards, flipping them instantly to their backs. Castiel’s left knee bent to accompany the force he used to slam their now empty bodies against the ground.

Emotionless expression glared at the ground, the glittering sound of a vanquished soul diminishing from the bodies. Castiel sharply turned his head up, eyes now intense towards the last demon before him. Sharp edges defined his tense eyebrows and the stubble of his facial hair expressed the thick frown upon is face. He squeezed his hands around their jaws, the final definition of their exorcized souls. He tipped his chin, his brows defining his anger when the demon now held a tight hold around Y/N’s neck, his other arm pressed firmly in front of her. Y/N’s hands gripped Daeva’s arm in her attempts to lighten his grip, but it was useless.

Dean and Sam’s feet thundered once the took care of the third demon, sending the demon blade right through his heart. They ran to stand beside Castiel, frozen in uselessness to the fact they could do nothing to aid Y/N. The brothers throats tightened upon seeing steady streams of blood flow from the deep lacerations in Y/N’s hands, her skin a now rich shade of crimson. But they were more surprised to see it was the figure of Y/N’s uncle who seemed to have done this to her. It didn’t take them long to connect the dots, especially Sam, since he was the only one who met her uncle in person. They were played this entire time, a mere bunch of demons played _them_.

Castiel’s shoulders squared firmer now, further emphasizing the rage that flowed from his angelic form upon seeing what the demon did to hurt her. And by the expression hovering in her eyes, it wasn’t just physical pain the demon forced onto Y/N. The demon used his free hand to sway his index finger back and forth, clicking his tongue to the roof of his mouth to chirp _tsk tsk tsk_ sounds.

“I wouldn’t do anything if I were you, not if you want to cause further pain to your friend here,” his forearm pressed deeper against Y/N’s throat. The windpipe beneath her skin agonizingly closed slower from Daeva’s pressure.

“Coward,” Y/N choked, risking taking an elbow and slamming it as hard as she could against his side. Castiel took the risky opening, raising his hand up and using his grace to halt the demon in place. Daeva cringed in pain, splutters of blood shooting from his mouth to the internal contortion the angel was conflicting upon him. His grip loosened the moment he crippled over, Sam and Dean wasting no time in rushing over to grab Y/N.

They carefully held her in their arms, supporting her half weight as she struggled to hold herself up. Castiel’s eyes followed the brothers as they carried Y/N past him, certainly now out of harm’s way. A deep growl vibrated inside Castiel’s chest, the dingy light above flickering in unison with the angel’s vocals. Sam and Dean stopped a couple of feet away from Castiel, gently laying her down on the ground.

Sam supported Y/N’s back while Dean tenderly held Y/N’s hands in his, wincing and not able to comprehend how her injuries must have felt. Dean gripped the bottom hem of his shirt and split the fabric in a long stripe. He carefully wrapped it around her hands, whispering soft “ _sorry_ ” when Y/N whined to the sting of pain.

“Oh, look at you, the mighty Castiel. You think you have the power to stop me?” Daeva taunted, trying to cover up the fact he never realized the angel, this angel, held so much power. He heard the angel lost all of his resolve and getting beaten down over the years degraded his angelic power. In this incident, he was sorely proven wrong.

“Oh Castiel, what a fallen angel you have become. First you defy heaven and now you proclaim yourself to a human emotion? How sad… and pathetic,” Daeva’s mocking tease quickly turned to a stern resolve. The peak of Castiel’s cheek perked up when a malicious smirk raised the corner of his cheek.

“What I find pathetic is a demon who sought it right to torment an innocent child by butchering her father, slaughtering her entire family and impersonating her uncle. And now, an old and powerful demon as you proclaim to be, is trembling at the power of, what you said, a _fallen_ and _pathetic angel_.”

“I’m not afraid of a lowlife like you!”

“Maybe, but it says it in your eyes,” Daeva’s eyes squinted together, failing to hide the fact the angel held some truth to his words. The sharp hisses and soft apologies caught Castiel’s immediate attention. He chanced a quick glance back behind him, witnessing Dean tenderly wrapping a torn piece of his shirt around the wounds on Y/N’s hands. It was the severity of the pain within her soul that stabbed a knife through Castiel’s heart. Reluctantly and as much pain as he wanted to inflict upon this demon’s soul, he needed to make this quick so he could heal Y/N’s wounds.

Steel eyes returned to Daeva, Castiel tightening his tensed fingers to pull his hold on Daeva closer towards him. Daeva’s face crunched this way and that in his failed attempts to free himself from the angel’s grip, but even he wasn’t able to break free. For the first time in Daeva’s existence did he fear his emitting death? He underestimated the power of this angel and in the end; he was probably going to be his death. He tried to pity his way out of his foreboding fate,

“Wa-wai-wait, stop. I-I’ll do anything you ask. I’ll return to hell and you’ll never see the likes of me again,” Daeva lied, his words laced with false reasoning, but Castiel saw right through him. But before he did anything, a certain phrase entered his mind that he thought would be deemed appropriate for such an occasion.

“Run away, Daeva. Run, run away and never return,” Castiel’s voice rasped like sharp knives against a steel floor when he spoke those words. The recognizable phrase caught Y/N’s attention instantly, her eyes darting away from her pain and towards Castiel’s direction. A nervous gulp passed down both Daeva and Y/N’s throats, the intensity in the air stifling.

“And as much as I would relish in bringing to you the same torment you brought to someone I love, this ending for you will have to be slightly rushed,” Castiel pressed the base of his palm against Daeva’s forehead, his head tilting left and right in a sad attempt to run away.

Daeva opened his mouth as the searing burning coursed throughout his veins from the point where Castiel’s hand met his body. Castiel’s grace didn’t lace throughout his body quickly, but in a slow, burning manor. Daeva experienced every minuscule of his body burst upon impact of Castiel’s grace. The slow, agonizing fate of his execution burned away every fiber of his being. Bursts of hot light punctured from his body, cries of pain and fore longing agony screaming against the furnace walls.

The metal walls hummed in a silent song when the limp body of Daeva, long since known as Y/N’s uncle, plummeted a dead weight against the ground. Sharp sighs forced through Y/N’s lips, a mixture of emotions keeping the tightness firmly around her heart. Castiel’s steely eyes watched the faint embers glow around the burnt sockets of the deceased meat suit, streams of smoke fluttering into the sky. A sharp exhale of breath flared from his lungs one last time, a sort of puff of triumph to his work.

Castiel didn’t even hear the sound of scuffling feet, but he sensed someone was right behind him. He turned his head, only to see Y/N standing right beside him, but no expression gave Castiel the indication of what she was currently feeling. He could only tell by the storm raging around her soul, chaos slashing her emotions left and right. Y/N held something in her hand as she kneeled down in front of her uncle’s discarded body.

Sam and Dean slowly approached beside Castiel, all unknowing of what to do next for they didn’t know what Y/N planned to do now. She lifted her hand, the familiar antique weapon with elegant designs along the blade rose right before her. She gripped her knuckles tighter around the hilt, the fabric wrapped around her hand turning a shade darker from the blood seeping through the woven fabrics.

She slammed the knife downwards until it punctured her uncle’s chest. The boys wondered what Y/N was doing, but chose to remain silent as they assumed Y/N needed a moment to vent her built up and tortured emotions. Again and again, Y/N lifted the demon blade up and slammed it inside the body. And with every puncture, it felt as if she was puncturing her own emotions, chokes of breath gasping from her mouth. Her vision blurred with each strike, everything that happened in the past and just recently, all the hurt and pain, crashing against her soul all at once.

Any stern or enraged emotions Castiel was feeling instantly evaporated away the moment Y/N took to beating the limp body of her once uncle. His head hung low, expressing his own grief of not being able to protect Y/N from the pain of her past or the pain she was currently feeling. He softly called her name over and over, but Y/N never heard a single word.

Castiel kneeled down until his knees pressed against the cold ground, his chest inches from her back. Y/N’s strikes became erotic and sloppy the further her emotions blurred her perception. Slowly, Castiel snaked one arm around her back until his fingertips placed a featherlike touch on her arm. Y/N didn’t feel Castiel, blinded by tears, until he pulled her arm down. Her grip on the blade instantly released as Castiel coiled her around until she was nestled against his chest.

Y/N didn’t care to hold back any longer, her face contorting as she buried her face into the comfort of the beige trench coat. An overwhelming tension cried right against Castiel’s chest, her shouts of pain jabbing knives directly into his heart. He wrapped his other arm around her figure, now trembling like a scared animal. Sam and Dean’s hearts broke in half and their shoulders weighed down heavily when her muffled cries even reached their ears.

Castiel’s chin pressed against the top of Y/N’s head, his hands rubbing soothing motions up and down her body to bring her a sense of comfort. She remained silent, nothing more needing to be said, as her mind processed all the things demon said to her. Castiel tilted his head so his lips buried against the top of her hair. His lips pressed gently to the top of her head, her emotions dampening the fibers of his trench coat.

 

~~~

 

After Sam and Dean discarded the remaining bodies, everyone was eager to leave the forsaken town and return to their home at the bunker. The drive back hung a heavy weight where even Dean wasn’t in the mood for listening to music. His eyes glared at the road before him, the rumble of baby’s engine vibrating to life when his foot pressed harder on the gas. Sam’s attention rested on the blurred landscapes beside him, though it all just seemed an empty void as the nightly cloud shrouded any sign of silver light.

Castiel remained in the back seat with Y/N, her slump figure rested on top of his lap while her head nestled against the nape of his shoulder and neck for support. Castiel never stopped his soothing circles up and down her arm. Even in her unconscious state, the simple gesture brought her comfort.

When the familiar setting of the bunker’s front door came to view, internal sighs of relief released the hours of tension that gripped everyone’s hearts. Castiel was the one to carry Y/N’s unconscious body inside the bunker, Dean and Sam having no problems with taking care of the rest. Castiel proceeded to place Y/N in her room, tucking her silent figure underneath the covers to give her a moment of peaceful rest. He quietly walked towards the door, holding the knob back so the clicking of the door shutting didn’t disturb her.

The late hours inside the bunker continued onwards at a long-drawn-out pace. No sense of time could be told with the lack of windows. Y/N didn’t even know what time, or what day it was when she was stirred from her sleep. She realized she was in a familiar setting, the scent of her pillow beneath her head the evidence she needed. Her muscles ached slightly when she forced them to move from their steepened state. She tiptoed towards her door, slowly turning the knob to open it.

The hallway remained empty when Y/N emerged from her room. She made her way towards the library, but there was no one around. Had everyone left or were people still asleep. She turned her head and the familiar dark locks of the angel rested on the couch across in the other room. Y/N slowly walked towards him, Castiel turning his head to indicate to her he knew her presence.

Y/N seated herself beside the angel, a half smirk greeting him as she fully sat against the cushion. Castiel’s head nodded slightly in greeting, his eyes brightly welcoming her presence. Y/N almost forgot how she felt, like there was no more pain in her body or hands. She turned her attention to her knuckles, no indications of claws having had ripped them apart. She bent her fingers towards her palms, definitely not needed to make sure they still worked.

“Thank you, Cas, for all that you did back there,” Y/N expressed gratitude, the memories of her actions weighing heavily on her mind, “And I’m sorry for not listening to you or Sam and Dean about going in there alone. I just… thought since it was my past that I had to handle it all on my own. But I now realize that everything doesn’t have to be done alone… that I have family and loved ones who look after me and have my back when I’m in trouble.” Upon hearing the word “loved ones” fluttered the butterfly wings of Castiel’s heart. He’d do anything for Y/N, make sure she would never befall in harm’s way again.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner,” Castiel apologized, glancing down at her mended hands from the help of his grace. The pain she must have felt must have been excruciating.  

“I got myself into that mess, so I lay no negative feelings towards you, Cas. You saved my life and I owe you so much for that.” Castiel’s eyes darted down towards the cushions, tracing every texture in the man made fabrics. He contemplated whether he should speak his mind in this moment, for fear she would reject his words. But time and time again, whenever Castiel felt this way, Y/N always understood and never resented him for speaking his mind.

“You know, I don’t say this to demeanor your pride, Y/N. But, **being brave doesn’t mean you go looking for trouble**.” Y/N pressed her lips together, thinking hard on Castiel’s words and not once taking any offense. She will have to admit, once she got a tiny sliver of truth about her past, it did egg her on to engage in the fight with a demon.

“But you’re not scared of anything, Cas. You’re an angel, wh-whose fought in wars and battled against the fiercest creatures out there.” Castiel’s eyes went down to his fingertips, a nervous gesture fiddling them together.

“I was… tonight,” Castiel’s eyes never left his fingers when he confessed those words. Y/N tilted her head to the side in confusion to the angel’s words, hoping to seek clarity.

“You were?” her soft voice questioned into Castiel’s ears. The coming confession bubbling inside his chest, popping the moment they reach the top. He breathed a light breath of courage before returning his eyes to Y/N.

“Yes… I thought I might loose you,” Castiel’s confession softened the line between Y/N’s lips, the soft skin parting slightly to reveal a small gap.

“Oh… I guess even angels get scared,” the nerves tickled the back of Y/N’s neck, crawling up her spine and to the base of her head. She reached her hand behind her and tried to relieve the sensation by rubbing her skin.

An awkward silence prolonged between the two of them, neither of them not sure what else to do. But just being in the same space as Y/N was enough for Castiel. Knowing she was safe and alive made any sort of reckless decision worth it. A sudden thought came to his mind, something he knew would cheer her up. From all these years in knowing Y/N, he knew the steps she took to bring light back into her life. Castiel softly excused himself, the weight of his body lifting from the couch.

Y/N watched Castiel round the corner and disappear from her sight. Was it something she said? Why did he leave suddenly? Every possible reasoning of Castiel’s departure. She was to concentrated in her own thoughts she didn’t realize he returned. His sudden appearance startled Y/N’s figure, curious to the reason he left. But a stack of thin, plastic boxes was held between his two hands. An innocent expression from Castiel glanced between the small boxes and Y/N.

“I recall, whenever you were feeling down, you’d always watch one of your favorite movies. So, I picked your favorites and-“ Castiel averted his eyes, the brewing of fire rising to the top of his cheeks. Y/N’s face softened to the angel’s thoughtfulness.

“I thought they would help cheer you up,” Castiel confessed; brave enough to face her now as he returned his eyes back to his. But his heart skipped various beats when the look in her eyes took his breath away. Castiel’s body stiffened when Y/N scooted herself closer towards him, her expression unreadable.

She leaned forwards, the texture of her cheek grazing against the stubble of his jaw line, to place a tender kiss. Her soft lips against his rough skin busted that rising heat instantly. Castiel chanced a moment to close his eyes, relishing in the warmth Y/N freely offered to him and the tender touch an added bonus.

When Y/N leaned back and returned to her original spot, a glimpse of her teeth gripped a portion of her bottom lip, bashfulness blazing the peaks of her cheekbones. The ends of Castiel’s mouth rose high on his face, the peaks of his cheeks puffing bellow his eyes. A soft giggle bubbled from Y/N’s throat, looking down at the assortment of movies Castiel chose.

“How about you choose for me, Cas. You pick.” Y/N concluded, for which Castiel agreed. His brows squinted together, reading each individual box’s titles before choosing one. He placed the others on the table and presented Y/N with is choice.

“Oh, the Lion King. Great choice,” Y/N giggled, remembering how she loved this movie as a kid. Hard footfalls vibrated across the way when the youngest Winchester emerged from the study room.

“You sound a lot better, Y/N,” Sam breathed in relief.

“Yes, I’m feeling much better now… all thanks to you guys.”

“That’s good. I’m glad to hear.”

“What are you doing?” Castiel asked Sam.

“I was about to grab a beer and head to my room. What about you guys? You sound very chirpy right now.” Y/N lifted the plastic DVD box in the air so Sam could see the title. The familiar color toned, 2D cover with cartoon lions rung familiarity in Sam’s mind. A huff of amusement puffed his brows up.

“You wanna watch the movie with us?” Y/N asked.

“No, thanks!”

“I’ve heard these 2D characters are very uplifting for the soul and for cheering people up. I highly recommend it, Sam,” Castiel stated, trying to persuade the Winchester to join their uplifting downtime.

“Oh, come on Sam! Please???” Y/N pleaded, pouting her bottom lip in her act of persuasion. Her eyes softened in her attempt to give Sam a “puppy eyed look.” Sam knew she’d bug him relentlessly if he didn’t comply, so with his head bent down, he agreed to watch the movie with them. It had been years since he had seen the movie, so why not?

A squeak of happiness hopped Y/N’s figure up and down on the couch cushions. Witnessing Y/N’s spirits brightened made his heart feel at rest.

“I’ll go grab the beer and some snacks,” Sam said, Castiel sitting up to accompany Sam in the snack gathering. Y/N’s laptop remained on the table from days before, so she opened it up to turn it on. The bright screen illuminated on her face so she could insert the movie.

 

~~~

 

Once the boys returned from gathering drinks and snacks, Y/N rested her laptop on the center of the table so the screen could be visible to everyone. Sam leaned his right elbow on the couch’s arm, a chilled beer between his fingers. Castiel’s body occupied the other end of the couch with the weight of Y/N’s shoulders leaning against his. He eyed the movie carefully as the opening scene became presented.

The iconic opening, with the sun slowly rising and the African language blaring against the laptop’s speakers shook a tremble of shivers down Y/N’s spine. No matter how long it’s been since she had seen the movie, that opening always did it for her. When each familiar song played, Sam and Y/N sung to every word, poorly toned vocal cords. Though Castiel didn’t know the plot of the movie too well or the lyrics to the songs, he still relished in the childish character that this movie brought out in Sam and Y/N.

No one even paid attention to the last set of feet that thumped against the hard ground, squinting eyes from Dean towards the screen at what caused them to shout and giggle so much in the bunker.

“Is that the Lion King? What are you guys, three year olds?”

“Can it, we’re trying to watch.” Again, a day full of no one appreciating the humor Dean always found appropriate to bring to the table.

“You can join us, if you want?” Castiel suggested, his head tilting up slightly just enough so he could glance back at the eldest Winchester.

“Nooo-hooo thank you. I’ll pass on the late night slumber party.” But Y/N knew something Dean didn’t. The case of beer Sam grabbed was the last in the fridge and she knew this particular figure wouldn’t pass up on an invite with beer involved. She reached forwards, grabbing the last beer on the table before raising it above her head. She fluttered the body of the bottle back and forth, hoping to entice Dean to join them.

A faint groan was the indication that Dean decided to join, even if it was for one scene. Dean marched over and grabbed the beer from Y/N’s hand. Once the bottle was away, she leaned back against Castiel’s shoulder. The weight of her body against his was comforting for Castiel.

He chanced a move of his own, lifting his arm to gently wrap it around her figure. Slight trembles shivered through his arm in thought she would not accept his gesture. But when she leaned closer against him, leaning her head against the side of his arm washed a wave of reassurance through him.

No one heard ant footsteps leave the surrounding area, so Y/N was pleased Dean decided to stick around. Surprisingly, he came around the border of the couch and nestled in the vacant spot between Sam and Y/N. Y/N’s heart brimmed to the warmth of everyone sitting down and watching a movie together.

When the music pounded against the screen, the title “The Lion King” blaring against a black background, which was when they knew the movie was finished. A thought came to mind when the credits started to roll down the screen.

“Hey, did you realize something, Y/N?” Sam asked, pressing his elbows on his knees as he leaned forwards to catch Y/N’s attention.

“What?”

“No offense and I don’t mean to bring this up. I know this is still a touchy subject to you, but what just happened on this last case, about your past, kinda connects to the Lion King… strangely enough.” Y/N didn’t take any offense to Sam’s speculations at all. During a few of the scenes, Y/N did feel a sense of familiarity and a connection to her past.

“How so?” Dean asked, clearly not as keen as his brother. Sam sighed, almost reluctant to have to explain all this aloud. A sympathetic glance turned to Y/N, hoping that would be all right. Y/N nodded, indicating to Sam he can continue.

“Well, think about it. The uncle, Scar, kills the father, his brother, in order to become king and tries to persuade Mufasa’s son that the death was all his fault. Simba runs away but comes back a few years later to face Scar to become king of pride rock.” Sam said it, aloud. Even he couldn’t believe it.

Y/N’s thoughts pondered on every word Sam spoke until her mouth fell agape, her shoulders slouching down in silent realization. Sam frantically nodded his head in agreement, as weird as it very much sounded. Dean tossed his head back and a fit of laughter bounced his chest up and down. Castiel, on the other hand, found it difficult to comprehend how it was funny Y/N’s past connected to the lifestyle of animated lions.

“Oh my god… you’re right. I’m never going to look at this movie the same way again,” Y/N concluded, turn the DVD box in her hand to eye the cover, as if gazing upon it’s childhood glory one more time.

“But don’t worry, Y/N, cause all you gotta do it _let it go_ , _let it gooo_ ,” his voice lifted like he flutter of bird’s wings. At the same time, Y/N and Dean’s eyelids pushed back hard against their faces, the familiar song almost starting to play inside their heads.

“Oh god no, please don’t,” Dean dreaded, grabbing any sort of electronic devices to prevent the Google search of that confounded song. Castiel’s signature head tilt and eye squint expressed his profound confusion to Sam’s words and unable to understand why Y/N and Dean found it distasteful.

“That would make the most, logical sense. Why are you guys against it? Isn’t it what humans do to overcome times of pain and distress?” Castiel questioned, Dean simply pressing his forehead into his palms silently while Y/N’s lips formed into a flat line, simply answering,

“It’s a song, Cas.”

“And a terrible song,” dean groaned.

“What song? Letting go of what?” Castiel’s genuine curiosity sparking the fire of mischievous nature back into Sam’s soul. His smile broadened like the Cheshire cat himself devised his next words.

“Wanna hear it?”

“NOOOO!” Y/N and Dean’s voice shouted in unison, fear evident in their voice and actions as Dean grabbed Y/N’s laptop. Y/N grabbed a pillow discarded on the ground and proceeded to slamming the soft cushion upon Sam’s figure. Sam, of course, was able to block the soft attacks while Dean complained because he was stuck in the middle of the childish banters.

The comforting barks of laughter echoed in the aged halls of the bunker. Brightened smiles and glowing faces was something Castiel will never tire of seeing. He hoped, from here on out, this same feeling he will be able to bring for everyone for many years as he’s able on this earth. Hoping to replace lost years of pain with days spent with the ones you hold dear.


End file.
